Editing Bideford (section)

==Demography==

{{Historical populations|type=UK
| 1991|13006
| 2001|14599
| 2011|17107
}}

In 2011 government statistics recorded the population at 17,107, its highest ever. Between 2011 and 2026 Bideford's population is expected to rise by 9,689 people. The birth rate in Bideford is 60.2 out of 1000 women, compared with the 52.8 per 1000 women which is the average for Devon. Life expectancy in Bideford is 80.7 years, that is 0.9 years less than the average for Devon. Bideford has the highest rate of youth offending in Devon at 21.5 in 1000 people, compared with 13.2 in a 1000 people as the Devon average.<ref name="devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/JSNA-Market-Town-Health-Profile-Bideford-Northam2.pdf|date=November 2011|author=EdmundsM|title=Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Market Town Profile 2010–11 – Bideford/Northam|access-date=31 March 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031112/http://www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/JSNA-Market-Town-Health-Profile-Bideford-Northam2.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Bideford is largely ethnically homogenous, with the 2001 census reporting that 98.3% of the population were white in the parish.<ref name="devon">{{cite web|url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/bidefordandnorthambaselineprofile.pdf|date=21 June 2006|title=Bideford and Northam Devon Town Baseline Profile May 2006|access-date=31 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923214028/http://www.devon.gov.uk/bidefordandnorthambaselineprofile.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> 3.3% of school children are from ethnic minorities and 0.9% of school children do not have English as their first language, the lowest in Devon.<ref name="devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk"/> In 2001 31.6% of households were classed as "single person households". In 2004 Bideford was classed as one of the most deprived areas in the [[Torridge District|Torridge]] area. In November 2008 1.95% of the population claimed job-seekers allowance.<ref name="devon2">{{cite web|url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/councildemocracy/neighbourhoods-villages/devon-town-focus/bideford.htm|title=Bideford and Northam|publisher=devon.gov.uk|access-date=31 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402190422/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/councildemocracy/neighbourhoods-villages/devon-town-focus/bideford.htm|archive-date=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Domestic violence rates are 2.6% higher than the Devon average, alcohol-related crime is 0.4% higher than the Devon average, and drugs-related crime is the same as the Devon average.