The 2016 UK EU referendum produced a national turnout of 72.2%, with 33,577,342 ballot papers counted. Leave received 17,410,742 votes, or 51.9%, while Remain received 16,141,241 votes, or 48.1%. The figures below show how that result looked nationally, across London, and in selected London boroughs. All measurements refer to the 2016 EU referendum and are attributed to the Electoral Commission’s official result or London results.
Contents
- National referendum totals
- Turnout and rejected ballots
- London’s overall result
- Borough results at a glance
- Where Remain led
- Where Leave led
National referendum totals
The Electoral Commission official result recorded 33,577,342 ballot papers counted across the UK EU referendum. National turnout was 72.2%. These two measures describe the scale of participation: the first is the number of ballot papers counted, while the second is the share of the electorate that voted.
The final national vote split was close in percentage terms but different in absolute totals. Remain received 16,141,241 votes, equivalent to 48.1% of the vote. Leave received 17,410,742 votes, equivalent to 51.9%.
| National measure | 2016 UK EU referendum figure |
|---|---|
| Ballot papers counted | 33,577,342 |
| Turnout | 72.2% |
| Remain votes | 16,141,241 |
| Remain share | 48.1% |
| Leave votes | 17,410,742 |
| Leave share | 51.9% |
| Rejected ballot papers | 25,359 |
The Electoral Commission official result also recorded 25,359 rejected ballot papers. That figure is separate from the valid Remain and Leave totals, so it should not be treated as support for either option. It is a count of papers that were not accepted as valid votes.
The national figures are useful as the reference point for every local comparison in this article. London’s result, for example, can be read against a UK-wide result in which Leave held 51.9% and Remain held 48.1%. Borough turnout can likewise be compared with the national 72.2% figure, while keeping the geography clear: the borough figures are London results, not UK-wide estimates.
Turnout and rejected ballots
Turnout varied among the London areas listed by the Electoral Commission London results. The highest reported turnout in this selection was 76.1% in Havering. Bexley recorded 75.3%, while both Barnet and the UK national result were reported at 72.2%. Hammersmith and Fulham recorded 70.0%.
Croydon and Hounslow each recorded 69.9%. London overall recorded 69.7%, while Hackney recorded 65.2%. The lowest turnout among the listed boroughs was Barking and Dagenham, at 63.9%.
| Area | Electorate | Turnout | Rejected ballots |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 5,424,768 | 69.7% | Not stated in supplied London total |
| Barking and Dagenham | 115,812 | 63.9% | 61 |
| Barnet | 223,467 | 72.2% | 185 |
| Bexley | 170,779 | 75.3% | 81 |
| Croydon | 245,349 | 69.9% | 155 |
| Hackney | 163,284 | 65.2% | 156 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 114,863 | 70.0% | 105 |
| Havering | 183,082 | 76.1% | 89 |
| Hounslow | 165,050 | 69.9% | 132 |
The rejected-ballot counts also differed. Barnet recorded 185 rejected ballots, Hackney 156, Croydon 155, Hounslow 132, Hammersmith and Fulham 105, Havering 89, Bexley 81, and Barking and Dagenham 61. These are raw counts, so they should not be interpreted as rejection rates without a supplied denominator and calculation.
The London total had an electorate of 5,424,768 and a turnout of 69.7%. It also had 3,776,751 valid votes. The London figures therefore provide a regional result alongside the more detailed borough-level counts below.
London’s overall result
Remain won 2,263,519 votes in London, according to the Electoral Commission London results. Leave won 1,513,232 votes. London’s electorate was 5,424,768, turnout was 69.7%, and the number of valid votes was 3,776,751.
The London vote totals show a different regional pattern from the national result. Remain’s London total was larger than Leave’s London total, with 2,263,519 Remain votes compared with 1,513,232 Leave votes. Those figures describe London only; they do not replace the UK-wide totals of 16,141,241 Remain votes and 17,410,742 Leave votes.
The distinction between valid votes and total ballot papers matters when reading referendum statistics. The London results report 3,776,751 valid votes, whereas the national result reports 33,577,342 ballot papers counted. The supplied figures do not provide a London-wide rejected-ballot total, so no rejected count or rejection rate is inferred for London as a whole.
London’s turnout of 69.7% was below the UK national turnout of 72.2%. Several individual boroughs were above both the London figure and the national figure: Havering recorded 76.1%, Bexley 75.3%, and Barnet 72.2%. Other boroughs were below the London figure, including Hackney at 65.2% and Barking and Dagenham at 63.9%.
Borough results at a glance
The Electoral Commission London results recorded eight borough-level pairs of Remain and Leave vote totals in the supplied figures. The pattern was not uniform across London. Some boroughs recorded substantially more Remain votes, while others recorded substantially more Leave votes.
| London borough | Remain votes | Leave votes | Electorate | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 27,750 | 46,130 | 115,812 | 63.9% |
| Barnet | 100,210 | 60,823 | 223,467 | 72.2% |
| Bexley | 47,603 | 80,886 | 170,779 | 75.3% |
| Croydon | 92,913 | 78,221 | 245,349 | 69.9% |
| Hackney | 83,398 | 22,868 | 163,284 | 65.2% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 56,188 | 24,054 | 114,863 | 70.0% |
| Havering | 42,201 | 96,885 | 183,082 | 76.1% |
| Hounslow | 58,755 | 56,321 | 165,050 | 69.9% |
Barnet recorded 100,210 Remain votes and 60,823 Leave votes, with an electorate of 223,467 and turnout of 72.2%. Croydon recorded 92,913 Remain votes and 78,221 Leave votes from an electorate of 245,349, with turnout of 69.9%.
Hounslow was comparatively close in raw vote totals: it recorded 58,755 Remain votes and 56,321 Leave votes. Its electorate was 165,050 and turnout was 69.9%. The two vote totals should be kept separate from the turnout measure, which describes participation among the electorate rather than the split between the two options.
Where Remain led
Remain led in four of the eight listed London boroughs: Barnet, Croydon, Hackney, and Hammersmith and Fulham. Barnet’s Remain total was 100,210 against 60,823 Leave votes. Croydon’s was 92,913 against 78,221.
Hackney recorded 83,398 Remain votes and 22,868 Leave votes. Its electorate was 163,284, turnout was 65.2%, and 156 ballots were rejected. Hammersmith and Fulham recorded 56,188 Remain votes and 24,054 Leave votes, with an electorate of 114,863, turnout of 70.0%, and 105 rejected ballots.
The four Remain-leading boroughs differed in participation. Barnet’s 72.2% turnout was higher than Croydon’s 69.9%, Hammersmith and Fulham’s 70.0%, and Hackney’s 65.2%. The borough figures therefore show that a Remain lead and a higher turnout did not always occur together within this selection.
The largest Remain vote total among the listed boroughs was Barnet’s 100,210. The smallest was Hammersmith and Fulham’s 56,188. Those are raw vote counts and reflect different electorate sizes, so they are not direct measures of the strength of opinion without a percentage calculation. The supplied data supports the counts and turnout figures, but it does not provide borough-level percentages for each option.
Where Leave led
Leave led in four of the eight listed boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Havering, and, by a narrow raw-count margin, not Hounslow. Hounslow recorded 58,755 Remain votes against 56,321 Leave votes, so Remain led there. The four Leave-leading boroughs are therefore Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, and Havering, plus the supplied London-wide result is not a borough and should not be counted in this comparison.
Barking and Dagenham recorded 27,750 Remain votes and 46,130 Leave votes. Its electorate was 115,812, turnout was 63.9%, and 61 ballots were rejected. Bexley recorded 47,603 Remain votes and 80,886 Leave votes from an electorate of 170,779. Bexley turnout was 75.3%, with 81 rejected ballots.
Havering recorded 42,201 Remain votes and 96,885 Leave votes. Its electorate was 183,082, turnout was 76.1%, and 89 ballots were rejected. Havering therefore had the highest turnout among the eight listed boroughs as well as the largest Leave total in that selection.
The Leave-leading boroughs also illustrate why turnout and vote totals answer different questions. Barking and Dagenham had the lowest listed turnout at 63.9%, while Havering had the highest at 76.1%. Their Leave totals were 46,130 and 96,885 respectively. The figures show participation and option totals together, without turning either measure into an unsupported percentage.
For context, the London-wide result recorded 2,263,519 Remain votes and 1,513,232 Leave votes, while the UK-wide result recorded 16,141,241 Remain votes and 17,410,742 Leave votes. The national and London figures point in different directions, and the borough results show further variation inside London. Each figure belongs to its stated geography and to the 2016 EU referendum measurement period.