Figures published from the 2021 Census suggest a baby boom in one part of east London.

Havering had the biggest increase across the country in the number of 0-4 year-olds in its population between 2011 and 2021.

There were a total of 16,500 children in that age bracket living in the borough in 2021, up from 13,661 ten years earlier.

Havering Council leader Cllr Ray Morgon said: “We know that Havering has changed a great deal over the last ten years and this is reflected in the Census 2021 data.

“With our excellent schools, abundance of green space and close proximity to both the city and the countryside, it is not surprising that families with young children are attracted to the area and remain here. We have seen an increase in demand for children’s services in recent years.

“The census provides us with the data needed and I will be pressing central government for the right funding, to help us plan and deliver services to meet the needs of our local population.”

Meanwhile, Barking and Dagenham had the highest percentage of its population in the 0-4 age range in the country according to the census.

The borough had 7.9pc of its population aged four and under in 2021 - 17,200 children to be exact.

Despite the high proportion, the overall number of 0-4 year-olds in the borough actually fell by 1,476 on the 2011 Census.

Redbridge and Newham also had high percentages (6.8pc) of 0-4-year olds in their population - sitting sixth and eighth in the national ranking respectively.

Like Barking and Dagenham though, they also saw a fall in the overall number of children in that age range who live in those boroughs.

In Newham, there was a drop of 1,484 children aged four and under compared to 2011 and in Redbridge the decrease was 466.

But in Tower Hamlets, the number of 0-4 year-olds in the population went up by 350 between 2011 and 2021.

FOR MORE: Census 2021: What has changed in your borough since 2011?

The 2021 Census found that a fall in 0-4 year-olds in the population was reflected elsewhere in the capital and nationally.

There were more than 264,000 fewer children in that age range living in England and Wales in 2021 than in 2011.

But the percentage of people aged 65 and over increased to 18.6pc, up from 16.4pc a decade earlier.

The figures are among the first of a series of data releases from the 2021 Census over the next two years.

Office for National Statistics’ deputy national statistician Pete Benton said: “Since Census Day the world has continued to change. People continue to move home, some people will have left the country, others will have arrived. People will have changed jobs, some of us now work in offices once again, while others continue to work from home.

“We need to understand all of this and more. The results from Census 2021 – and there’s lots more to follow - therefore provide a key bridge from the past to the future as we deliver more frequent, relevant and timely statistics using data from across government to allow us to understand population change in local areas this year and beyond.”