When discussing the poulation of Bournemouth you really have to include all the towns that make up the conurbation here. According to the 2001 statistics the area has a population of
437,657 with the breakdown as follows
Bournemouth = 167,527
Poole = 144,800
Christchurch = 40,208
Ferndown = 26,858
Three Legged Cross = 25,246
Wimborne = 20,949
Verwood = 12,069
Bristol had a population of
420,556 in 2001
Torbay = 110,366
Exeter = 106,772
Bath = 90,144
These numbers are from the Governments own figures found at
Home: UK National Statistics Publication Hub