Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census,[1] making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.[10]
Coventry is 19 miles (31 km) east-south-east of Birmingham, 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Leicester, 10 miles (16 km) north of Warwick and 94 miles (151 km) north-west of London. Coventry is also the most central city in England, being only 12 miles (19 km) south-west of the country's geographical centre in Leicestershire.[12][13]
Coventry became an important and wealthy city of national importance during the Middle Ages. Later it became an important industrial centre, becoming home to a large bicycle industry in the 19th century. In the 20th century, it became a major centre of the British motor industry; this made it a target for German air raids during the Second World War, and in November 1940, much of the historic city centre was destroyed by a large air raid.
The city was rebuilt after the war, and the motor industry thrived until the mid-1970s. However, by the late-1970s/early-1980s, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one of the country's highest levels of unemployment due to major plant closures and the collapse of the respective local supply-chain. In recent years, it has seen regeneration and an increase in population. The city also has three universities: Coventry University in the city centre, the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts and the smaller privateArden University with its headquarters close to Coventry Airport. In addition, Coventry was awarded UK City of Culture for 2021.[14][15][16]
^List of English districts by population based on ONS mid-year population estimates for 2018Archived 8 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine: Coventry is the 9th-largest city by population in England and the 11th-largest city in the UK proper with a 2018 mid-year estimated population of 366,785 (and a 2011 Census population of 316,915). This is after London (1st: 8,908,081), Birmingham (2nd: 1,141,374), Leeds (3rd: 789,194), Glasgow (Scotland) (4th: 626,410), Sheffield (5th 582,506), Manchester (6th: 547,627), Bradford (7th: 537,173), Edinburgh (Scotland) (8th: 518,500), Liverpool (9th: 494,814), Bristol (10th, 463,405), Coventry (11th: 366,785). (This is followed by Cardiff (Wales) (12th: 364,248) and Leicester (13th: 355,218).)