The 2016 EU referendum produced a clear national result, but the regional figures show a more varied map of participation and preference. Leave received 17,410,742 votes, compared with 16,141,241 for Remain. The total electorate was 46,500,001, turnout was 72.2%, and 25,359 ballots were rejected. These figures are reported by the Electoral Commission for the EU referendum.
Contents
- National result
- Turnout and rejected ballots
- Eastern England
- London, the north and Northern Ireland
- Scotland, Wales and the south
- The Midlands and Yorkshire
National result
The headline figures place Leave ahead of Remain in the UK-wide count. Leave recorded 17,410,742 votes, while Remain recorded 16,141,241. The difference between the two recorded vote totals was 1,269,501 votes. This is a comparison of the reported totals, not a separate estimate or forecast.
The Electoral Commission reported a total electorate of 46,500,001. Turnout was 72.2%, giving the national result a participation rate above seven in ten registered electors. The same result page recorded 25,359 rejected ballots. Rejected ballots are listed separately from the votes cast for either option.
| National measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Remain votes | 16,141,241 |
| Leave votes | 17,410,742 |
| Total electorate | 46,500,001 |
| Turnout | 72.2% |
| Rejected ballots | 25,359 |
The national figures describe the overall count, while the regional results below show where the balance between the two options differed. All figures in this article are historical results measured for the 2016 EU referendum and are attributed to the Electoral Commission EU referendum results page.
Turnout and rejected ballots
Turnout is an important part of these EU referendum statistics because the size of each regional electorate differed substantially. The national turnout figure was 72.2%, but regional turnout ranged from 62.7% in Northern Ireland to 76.8% in the South East.
The electorate figures also varied widely. The South East had an electorate of 6,465,404, the largest listed regional electorate. London had 5,424,768, and the North West had 5,241,568. At the other end of the range, the North East had an electorate of 1,934,341, while Northern Ireland had 1,260,955.
The regional turnout figures were 75.7% in the East, 74.2% in the East Midlands, 69.7% in London, 69.3% in the North East, and 70.0% in the North West. Northern Ireland recorded 62.7%, and Scotland recorded 67.2%.
In the south and west, turnout was 76.8% in the South East, 76.7% in the South West, and 71.7% in Wales. The West Midlands recorded 72.0%, while Yorkshire and the Humber recorded 70.7%. These are reported turnout percentages for the named regions, rather than modelled participation rates.
Eastern England
The East recorded 1,448,616 Remain votes and 1,880,367 Leave votes. Its electorate was 4,398,796, and turnout was 75.7%. The reported vote totals therefore show Leave ahead in this region, alongside participation above the national turnout figure of 72.2%.
The East Midlands also recorded more Leave than Remain votes. Leave received 1,475,479 votes, while Remain received 1,033,036. The electorate was 3,384,299 and turnout was 74.2%.
Together, these two regions accounted for 2,481,652 Remain votes and 3,355,846 Leave votes. Those combined counts are simply the sum of the two reported regional totals; they do not represent a separate Electoral Commission category.
| Region | Remain | Leave | Electorate | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 1,448,616 | 1,880,367 | 4,398,796 | 75.7% |
| East Midlands | 1,033,036 | 1,475,479 | 3,384,299 | 74.2% |
The eastern figures illustrate why both vote totals and turnout matter when comparing regions. The East had the higher electorate and the higher turnout of the two, while the East Midlands had a smaller electorate and fewer votes for both options.
London, the north and Northern Ireland
London was the only listed region in which the Remain vote exceeded the Leave vote. Remain received 2,263,519 votes and Leave received 1,513,232. London’s electorate was 5,424,768, with turnout of 69.7%.
The North East recorded 562,595 Remain votes and 778,103 Leave votes. Its electorate was 1,934,341 and turnout was 69.3%. In the North West, Remain received 1,699,020 votes and Leave received 1,966,925. The North West electorate was 5,241,568 and turnout was 70.0%.
Northern Ireland recorded 440,707 Remain votes and 349,442 Leave votes. Its electorate was 1,260,955, the smallest electorate among the regions listed here, and turnout was 62.7%, also the lowest reported regional turnout in this dataset.
| Region | Remain | Leave | Electorate | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 2,263,519 | 1,513,232 | 5,424,768 | 69.7% |
| North East | 562,595 | 778,103 | 1,934,341 | 69.3% |
| North West | 1,699,020 | 1,966,925 | 5,241,568 | 70.0% |
| Northern Ireland | 440,707 | 349,442 | 1,260,955 | 62.7% |
The London result stands out in the regional comparison because its Remain total was higher than its Leave total. Northern Ireland also recorded more Remain than Leave votes, although with a smaller electorate and lower turnout than London. The North East and North West both recorded higher Leave totals.
Scotland, Wales and the south
Scotland recorded 1,661,191 Remain votes and 1,018,322 Leave votes. Its electorate was 3,987,112 and turnout was 67.2%. The reported Scottish figures therefore show a higher Remain total, with turnout below the UK-wide figure of 72.2%.
Wales recorded 772,347 Remain votes and 854,572 Leave votes. The Welsh electorate was 2,270,272 and turnout was 71.7%. Unlike Scotland, Wales recorded a higher Leave total, while its turnout was close to, but below, the national figure.
The South East had 2,391,718 Remain votes and 2,567,965 Leave votes. It had an electorate of 6,465,404 and turnout of 76.8%, the highest regional turnout reported here. The South West recorded 1,503,019 Remain votes and 1,669,711 Leave votes, from an electorate of 4,138,134 and turnout of 76.7%.
| Region | Remain | Leave | Electorate | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1,661,191 | 1,018,322 | 3,987,112 | 67.2% |
| Wales | 772,347 | 854,572 | 2,270,272 | 71.7% |
| South East | 2,391,718 | 2,567,965 | 6,465,404 | 76.8% |
| South West | 1,503,019 | 1,669,711 | 4,138,134 | 76.7% |
These figures show different combinations of electorate size, participation and result. The South East had the largest electorate and the highest turnout among the listed regions, while Scotland had more Remain votes and a lower turnout. Wales and the South West both recorded higher Leave totals.
The Midlands and Yorkshire
The West Midlands recorded 1,207,175 Remain votes and 1,755,687 Leave votes. Its electorate was 4,116,572 and turnout was 72.0%. The turnout was nearly the national reported rate, while the Leave total was higher than the Remain total.
Yorkshire and the Humber recorded 1,158,298 Remain votes and 1,580,937 Leave votes. The region’s electorate was 3,877,780 and turnout was 70.7%.
| Region | Remain | Leave | Electorate | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 1,207,175 | 1,755,687 | 4,116,572 | 72.0% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,158,298 | 1,580,937 | 3,877,780 | 70.7% |
The two regions together recorded 2,365,473 Remain votes and 3,336,624 Leave votes. The West Midlands had the larger electorate and the higher turnout of the pair. Both regional results recorded more Leave votes than Remain votes.
Across the regional figures, the Electoral Commission results page records higher Remain totals in London, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The East, East Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber recorded higher Leave totals. The national count consequently shows Leave ahead, with 17,410,742 votes to Remain’s 16,141,241.