East Of England
East of England has a population just under 5.5 million and one of the fastest growing populations in the UK. Migration plays an important role in population growth especially in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Cambridgeshire is a great importer of labour whilst Norfolk attracts mainly retired people, explaining the steady population growth of the county despite the natural decline in its population. Even with the fast population growth of some areas East of England has a lower overall population density (283 persons per sq km - 1999) than England. There are about half a dozen medium sized towns and cities in the region, with no major city which acts as a regional centre. The north and the east part of the region are embracing large rural areas. The proportion of market towns, small historic towns and villages is higher than in other regions, and more than a third of the population lives in settlements of less than 10,000 inhabitants.The East of England has a diverse economy. In the region, financial intermediation, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, transport and communication, real estate, renting and business activities and construction are amongst the sectors that have a larger than average contribution to the regional GDP. On the other hand, manufacture, hotels and restaurants contribute comparatively less. The GDP per head was £13,438 (1999). The region ranks third when compared with other UK regions.
