No one has taken a census of every rat in London. That would be a terrible job. But the best guess from the National Pest Technicians Association is that the population sits somewhere around 800,000 rats, give or take a hundred thousand.
That means for every 11 humans in London, there’s roughly one rat. Not exactly an army. More like a quiet, skittish punk band living in your walls. And honestly? Knowing they’re not outnumbering us 1-to-1 is a pretty comforting thought for your next night walk home.
Next time you hear a scratch in the ceiling, just remember: it’s probably just one of London’s 800,000 weird, intelligent, and slightly gross roommates. Say hi... from a safe distance. And maybe don’t leave that pizza box by the bin tonight.
