Authors:
For the first time in nearly a decade, comprehensive new research has revealed the true scale of sex work in the United Kingdom. Our groundbreaking 2025 study estimates that 102,000 people are currently engaged in sex work across the country.
Of course, this isn’t just a number. It represents real people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and circumstances who make up approximately 0.15% of the UK’s adult population. To put this in perspective, that’s roughly equivalent to the population of a city like Cambridge or Carlisle.
Perhaps the most striking finding from our research is how dramatically the UK sex industry size has transformed over the past two decades. Online sex work now dominates the industry, accounting for an estimated 60-70% of all activity in the UK.
This digital shift represents a fundamental change from traditional assumptions about sex work. Street-based work, which often dominates public perception and media coverage, now represents only 2-5% of the total population. The majority of sex workers today operate independently through online platforms, advertising their services through websites and apps rather than working on the street or in traditional premises – a major shift that now defines the sex worker population UK.
This transformation has important implications for both the people involved and the policies that affect them. Online work often provides greater safety, autonomy, and earning potential compared to street-based work, but it also creates new challenges around regulation, taxation, and support services.
One of the most important findings from our research challenges common stereotypes about who engages in sex work and highlights important sex work demographics UK that have often been overlooked. While women make up the majority of sex workers (73.5%), the industry is far more diverse than many people realise:
This demographic diversity has been largely invisible in previous research and policy discussions, which have typically focused almost exclusively on female sex workers. The substantial population of male sex workers, in particular, represents a significant group whose needs and experiences have been largely overlooked in both research and support services.
The research also reveals diversity in working arrangements, with many people working part-time or occasionally rather than as full-time sex workers. This challenges the assumption that sex work is necessarily a primary occupation and highlights the complex economic realities that lead people to engage in commercial sexual activity – an insight that helps explain the true number of sex workers working part-time or occasionally.
Sex work is not evenly distributed across the country. Our analysis reveals clear geographic patterns – valuable UK sex work statistics that show where the sex worker population UK is concentrated:
London and the Southeast remain the largest market, accounting for an estimated 35-40% of all UK sex workers (approximately 35,000-40,000 people). This concentration reflects the region’s high population density, economic activity, and transport connectivity.
Major urban centers including Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and Edinburgh account for another 25-30% of the population. These cities provide the anonymity, client base, and infrastructure that support larger sex work markets.
Smaller cities and rural areas make up the remaining 30-35%, though with significant variation based on local economic conditions, transport links, and other factors.
This geographic distribution has important implications for service planning and policy implementation, as approaches that work in London may not be appropriate for smaller cities or rural areas with different market characteristics and support infrastructure.
Estimating the number of people engaged in sex work presents unique challenges. Unlike other occupations, sex work often operates in legal grey areas, faces significant social stigma, and involves people who may prefer to remain hidden from researchers and authorities.
Previous UK estimates have been criticized for relying on questionable economic modeling and outdated assumptions. Our research addressed these limitations by developing a novel four-method approach:
By combining these approaches and explicitly acknowledging uncertainties, we provide the most reliable estimate possible while being honest about the limitations of available data.
Understanding the UK in international context provides important perspective on our findings and helps put the UK sex industry size in global context. Our estimate of 151 sex workers per 100,000 population places the UK within the range of international experience:
The UK’s higher rate compared to some European countries may reflect differences in legal frameworks, economic conditions, or estimation methodologies. It could also indicate that the UK’s partially legalized approach and well-developed online infrastructure support a larger sex work population than more restrictive regimes.
The finding that 102,000 people are engaged in sex work has significant implications for how we think about policy and social responses:
Health Services must be planned and resourced to serve a population of this size, with particular attention to sexual health, mental health, and ensuring access to mainstream healthcare without discrimination.
Social Support systems need to address the housing, financial, and other challenges faced by sex workers, recognizing that current approaches may be inadequately scaled.
Law Enforcement approaches should be proportionate to the actual scale of consensual adult activity, focusing resources on genuine harms rather than criminalizing the activities of 102,000 adults.
Economic Policy should consider the substantial economic activity represented by this population, including potential tax revenue and the broader economic contribution of the sex industry.
While our research represents a significant advance, important limitations remain. Most existing data sources lack comprehensive primary research with sex workers themselves. Many studies focus on specific sectors or geographic areas, making it difficult to develop complete population pictures.
The most marginalized sex workers – including those who are undocumented, have criminal convictions, or face multiple forms of discrimination – are often the hardest to reach in research. This means that even our comprehensive estimate may not fully capture the most vulnerable populations.
Future research needs include:
The estimate of 102,000 sex workers provides crucial foundation for evidence-based policy development. Rather than making decisions based on assumptions or moral positions, policymakers now have reliable data about the scale and characteristics of the population affected by their choices.
This research demonstrates that sex work is a significant social and economic phenomenon that affects a substantial number of people. Effective policies must be grounded in this empirical reality while recognizing the diversity of experiences and circumstances within sex worker communities.
The ultimate goal should not be perfect precision in population estimates – which may never be fully achievable for hidden populations – but rather the generation of reliable information that can support better policies and improve the lives of the people involved.
This analysis was conducted by Manus AI in 2025, synthesizing the best available data from academic studies, government reports, NGO research, and international comparisons. The full research report provides detailed methodology, data quality assessments, and comprehensive policy recommendations.
The research employed transparent, replicable methods and explicitly acknowledged uncertainties to provide the most honest and useful estimates possible. All findings are presented with appropriate confidence intervals that reflect the genuine challenges of hidden population research.
For more information, including the full research report and detailed methodology, please contact our research team.
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About the Author: Brenda Jensen is a German public health researcher specializing in occupational health, stigma, and the health impacts of digital labor, particularly in the context of sex work. She is currently Head of Data & Research at Erobella, an organization focused on advocacy, research, and services for sex workers.
Acknowledgments: This research builds upon the work of numerous academics, practitioners, and community organizations who have contributed to understanding sex work populations in the UK and internationally. Particular acknowledgment is due to the sex workers who have participated in research studies and shared their experiences to advance knowledge in this field.
Disclaimer: This report is intended for research and policy information purposes. The estimates provided should be interpreted within the context of the methodological limitations and uncertainties explicitly discussed throughout the analysis.
