Bolton Council: local authority assessment

How we assess local authorities

Assessment published: 11 February 2026

About Bolton Council

Demographics

Bolton is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, located approximately 12 miles from Manchester city centre and bordering Lancashire. The borough includes a mix of rural and urban communities and comprises the town of Bolton and surrounding areas including Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley, Westhoughton, Little Lever, and parts of South Turton.

Bolton is home to approximately 310,085 residents. The population includes a higher proportion of younger people and people aged over 65 compared to national averages. Projections indicate that by 2031, the population aged over 65 will increase by almost 8,000.

The majority of residents are White (71.95%), with 20.14% identifying as Asian or Asian British, 3.8% as Black, Black British, Caribbean or African, 2.2% as Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and 1.9% as other ethnic groups.

Bolton has an Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score of 8, ranking 37 out of 153 local authorities in England. This places Bolton in the second most deprived 10% of areas nationally, with 26% of its population living in the 10% most deprived areas.

Bolton is part of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, established in 2022. The partnership brings together NHS Greater Manchester, local NHS trusts, primary care providers, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and partners across the voluntary, community and faith sectors.

Bolton Council has 60 councillors representing 20 wards. Since 2019, no single political party has held an overall majority, meaning the council operates under no overall control.

Financial facts

• The Local Authority’s total spend was £543,234,000 in 2023/24, in comparison to a total spend of £496,523,000 in 2022/23. In 2023/24, 20.95% of the spend was spent on adult social care.
• The Local Authority’s total spend on Adult Social Care was £113,726,000 in 2023/24, compared to a total spend on Adult Social Care of £98,014,000 in 2022/23. The Local Authority spent £49,759,572 (adult social care spend) per 100,000 adults in 2023/24.  
• The Local Authority has raised the full Adult Social Care precept for 2023/24, with a value of 2.0%. Please note that the amount raised through the Adult Social Care precept varies from Local Authority to Local Authority.
• Approximately 5,785 people were accessing long-term Adult Social Care support, and approximately 1,460 people were accessing short-term Adult Social Care support in 2023/24. ​Local authorities spend money on a range of adult social care services, including supporting individuals. No two care packages are the same and vary significantly in their intensity, duration, and cost.  

This data is reproduced at the request of the Department of Health and Social Care. It has not been factored into our assessment and is presented for information purposes only.