Understanding London Boroughs: The 32 Boroughs of Greater London

Introduction

London boroughs are central to how Greater London is governed and experienced. The 32 local authority districts, together with the City of London, make up the administrative area of Greater London. Each borough is governed by its own London borough council and carries responsibility for local services, planning and community life. Understanding the boroughs helps residents, businesses and visitors navigate services, education provision and local character across the capital.

Main body

Structure and governance

The 32 London boroughs, alongside the unique City of London, form the local government map of Greater London. Each borough has an elected London borough council responsible for local functions. The City of London sits separately from the borough system and retains its own distinctive governance arrangements.

List and character of boroughs

The boroughs cover a wide range of urban, suburban and riverside areas. Names commonly cited among the 32 boroughs include City of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond, Kingston, Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Bromley, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield, Barnet, Harrow and Hillingdon. The City of London is noted separately as the historic and financial centre. Together, these boroughs encompass central cultural destinations, family suburbs, and large green and riverside spaces, reflecting a wide variety of local identities and housing markets within Greater London.

Education and historical note

Historically, there has been a distinction between Inner and Outer London boroughs in education responsibilities. Outer London borough councils were local education authorities. Inner London borough councils were designated primarily to preserve the existence of an Inner London Education Authority, a response to the former County of London’s lack of a history in providing education through its smaller local authorities.

Conclusion

For readers, the london boroughs framework explains how services are organised across Greater London and why neighbourhood character differs sharply from borough to borough. The division into 32 boroughs plus the City of London remains the primary way London is administered, informing where people live, how they access education and local services, and how communities identify themselves within the capital.