How many boroughs does London have and what are they?
London is known internationally for its red buses and speedy tube line, but the way it is run might not be quite as clear.
The capital city has a complicated structure when it comes to local authorities, with each council responsible for certain services.
The closer to the centre a borough is, the more densely populated it tends to be.
But how many boroughs are there exactly, and what’s their function?
How many boroughs does London have and what are they?
There are 32 boroughs in London, including 12 inner boroughs.
The local authority districts were created in 1965, and continue to this day.
Surprisingly, the City of London isn’t a borough – and operates in a slightly different way.
The twelve inner boroughs are:
- Camden
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Southwark
- Tower Hamlets
- Wandsworth
- Westminster.
The outer London boroughs are:
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Sutton
- Waltham Forest.
They are each governed by a council, who decide policies on services like libraries, waste collection and social services.
However, the Greater London Authority has jurisdiction over other elements of daily life, like transport, police and fire services.
What is the City of London?
The City of London operates as a county and government district.
It’s based on the site of Londinium, where the Romans settled in 47 AD.
Home to the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange, you might have heard it being referred to as ‘the Square Mile’, although it’s been much bigger than that since the Middle Ages.
The City Corporation runs the area, and is responsible for residents and workers in the area.
Confusingly, the City Corporation are also responsible for housing, some green spaces, and some schools across London.
There are around 8,000 residents, 513,000 daily commuters and 10m annual visitors a year to the area.
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