New data has revealed that Slough has the youngest population in the UK, based on urban areas with 135,000 or more residents.

Centre for Cities produced the data, which analysed both the average age of residents and the percentage of the population aged between 0 – 17.

With an average age of 34.1, Slough topped Oxford (34.7), Luton (35.3), Cambridge (35.6) and Coventry (36) to top spot. Blackpool has the oldest average age of 43.3, with Worthing (43.1) and Bournemouth (43) also registering an average age of 43 or older.

Slough’s 28.4% of residents between 0-17 is also the highest across the country. Luton follows with 26.6%, with Bradford (26.5%), Blackburn (26%) and Milton Keynes (25.3%) making up the top five. Aberdeen has the lowest percentage of under 18s in the UK, with 16.7%. Edinburgh has the second lowest with 16.9% with Exeter having the lowest percentage in England, with 17.3%.

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “Slough’s position as both the youngest city in the UK and the city with the largest under-18 population bodes well for its future economic success.

“To ensure that Slough continues to be attractive to its younger workforce, its leaders should prioritise building enough affordable homes in the city to meet the growing demand.”

Slough Borough Council leader James Swindlehurst said: “We’ve been using demographic data to plan our future service delivery in response to our changing population. Slough’s business base means we have always had a strong range of employment opportunities and we have set up the Slough Academy to provide training and qualifications for our young people.

“We have strongly supported our Youth Parliament and worked to implement the priorities they have created to serve the interests of young people.

“We’ve kept open all our libraries and have retained all our children centre’s including the support services and classes they provide. We’ve also made significant investment to ensure the borough has state of art leisure facilities from our new leisure centre through to free to access outdoor green gyms in many of our parks.””