Ethnic Minorities are the New Majority in UK’s Largest Cities

The 2021 Census has revealed that ethnic minority people are now the majority in London and in Birmingham- two of the largest cities in the UK.

This means that the white British population in Britain’s most populated cities have become the minority.

The current white British population in London is 37%, and Birmingham is 43%.

The tendency is the same in Leicester (59% of the population is ethnically diverse).

In Milton Keynes, Nottingham, and Peterborough, it is estimated that 4 out of 10 residents are non-white.

Multiculturalism is spreading throughout urban England.

The Asian population (9.3%) is found to be the largest ethnic group in England and Wales according to the Census 2021, followed by Black British, Caribbean, or Africans (4%), mixed races, or multiple races (2.9%).

10% are British Asian

One-tenth of the population is British Asian, which includes Indians (who make up roughly half of the British Asian population), Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nepalis and other groups like Sri Lankans.

Indians received the most work permits (80,421), student visas (almost 120,000), and tourist visas (nearly 20,000) in 2021, making the UK a popular destination for work, study and travel.

This is a trend that will continue to be reflected in the years to come.

How did the Census 2021 affect Faith?

According to reports, only 46.2% of British people identify as Christians in the present day, while 37.2% identify as persons of no faith or ‘No religion’.

This indicates that the nation is becoming more secular than ever.

Muslims have experienced the most growth among ethnic faiths, increasing from 4.9% to 6.5%, while Hindus/Sikhs have increased from 2.3% to 2.6%.

Jewish (0.5%) and Buddhist (0.5%) are the other two major religions.

The UK observes a variety of religious holidays and occasions, including Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Baisakhi, Navratri, Durga Puja, Hanukkah and numerous other multicultural celebrations.

However, at its core, the country is still a “secular society” that enjoys and recognises all faiths.

Languages

Polish, Romanian, Punjabi and Urdu continue to be the four most common languages spoken as a first language outside of English, with Romanian making its maiden appearance in the top 10.

However, Hindi and other subcontinental languages like Gujarati and Bengali are among the most widely spoken in urban England, as evidenced by the popularity of music and films from the region.

Other ‘White’ Identities

The UK’s “other whites” population, which includes 743,000 Poles and 472,000 Romanians, is currently the largest ethnic group in the country.

The majority of “other white” people in the UK are from Italy, Germany and Ireland.

Polish is prevalent in several areas of London. After English, Polish is commonly spoken in places like Camden, Hammersmith and Kensington.

The UK has had a broad range of ethnicities for some time.

But contributing factors such as migration mean it is no surprise that more ethnic minority people are living in the UK, focusing on large cities such as London and Birmingham.

Expect this trend to continue to rise in the years to come.