As of the 2021 Census, the White group made up about 81.7% to 83% of the UK population, with specific breakdowns showing White British at around 74.4% (England & Wales) or 76% (UK), alongside other White ethnicities like Irish, Gypsy/Traveller, and 'Other White'. While White remains the largest group, its proportion has decreased from 2011, with other groups like Asian and Black ethnicities growing, notes the Office for National Statistics.
The UK's ethnic demographics, based on the 2021 Census for England & Wales, show a predominantly White population (around 81.7%), with significant Asian (9.3%), Black (4.0%), Mixed (2.9%), and Other (2.1%) groups, reflecting growing diversity, though White British remain the largest single subgroup, with increases seen in White 'Other' and Asian categories, particularly among younger age groups. London stands out as the most diverse region, with substantial shifts away from White British identity in favor of other groups.
The United Kingdom is an ethnically diverse society. The largest ethnic group in the United Kingdom is White British, followed by Asian British. Ethnicity in the United Kingdom is formally recorded at the national level through a census.
There are approximately 4 million Muslims in the UK, making up about 6.5% of the population, according to the 2021 Census for England and Wales. This is an increase from 2.7 million in 2011, with significant growth in Muslim communities across England and Wales, and smaller but growing numbers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Indian origin households lead as the UK's wealthiest ethnic group, as per a report by LSE, with median wealth jumping from £93,000 from 2012/14 to 2021/23 - outpacing others through hard work, homeownership and smart investments.
What Percentage Of The UK Is White? - United Kingdom Explorers
What is the whitest county in England?
According to the 2011 UK Census results, White British people made up the largest percentage of the population in rural areas, such as Allerdale (99.4%) and Copeland (99.3%) in Cumbria, Ryedale (99.4%) in North Yorkshire, North Norfolk (99.2%) and North Devon (99%).
British Pakistanis make up about 2.5% of the UK population, totaling over 1.6 million people according to the 2021 census, with the largest concentrations in England, particularly the West Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, North West, and Greater London. This percentage has grown from 1.86% in 2011 and 1.27% in 2001.
What is the largest group of foreigners in the UK?
In 2020/21 there were approximately 696,000 Polish nationals living in the United Kingdom, the highest non-British population at this time. Indian and Irish were the joint second-largest nationalities at approximately 370,000 people.
Asylum seekers in the UK generally receive about £7.03 per day (£49.18 per week) in cash support for essential living costs like food, toiletries, and clothing, but this amount is reduced to about £1.42 per day (£9.95 per week) if the GOV.UKHome Office provides accommodation with meals GOV.UK. This money is provided on a pre-paid card and is intended to cover basic needs, as asylum seekers are typically not allowed to work.
As of early 2025, reports based on the latest census data indicate the UK Muslim population is around 4 million, making up about 6% of the total UK population, with figures suggesting a continued fast growth rate and increasing integration, though challenges in poverty and health persist. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) highlighted in April 2025 that over half of British Muslims are now UK-born, and strong British identity is common among them.
While the number of deaths in the UK exceeded births in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and again in 2023, the native population grew slightly in each of the past two years, Resolution Foundation estimated.
Almost 96 per cent of Black Britons live in England, particularly in England's larger urban areas, with close to 1.2 million living in Greater London. 47.8% of the total Black British population live in London.
Although less than 10% of the total UK-born population lived in London, the city was home to one-third of the total foreign-born population in the country. Northern Ireland, the North East, and Wales were the least popular destinations for migrants.
Demography. Easington is notable for being the town with the highest percentage of white residents in England (99.2% white in 2001). According to the results of the 2001 census, it also has the UK's lowest population of Jedi knights.
As we have seen, Jews make up just under 0.5% of the national population, about the same proportion as in the last two censuses. Therefore, in 2021, just 5 out of 1,000 people in England and Wales were Jewish compared with 462 Christians, 65 Muslims and 17 Hindus.
In 2030, Muslims will experience the rare event of observing Ramadan twice in the same Gregorian calendar year, once in early January and again in late December, due to the lunar Islamic calendar being shorter than the solar one. Additionally, the Muslim population will continue significant growth, with projections showing the global Muslim population reaching about 2.2 billion, and substantial increases in countries like the U.S. and UK, while major developmental changes are also underway, notably Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
Pakistani immigrants helped to solve labour shortages in the British steel, textile and engineering industries. The National Health Service (NHS) recruited doctors from Pakistan in the 1960s. The British Pakistani population has grown from about 10,000 in 1951 to over 1.6 million in 2021.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the United Kingdom, with results from the 2021 Census recording just under four million Muslims, or 6.0% of the total population in the United Kingdom. London has the largest population and greatest proportion (15%) of Muslims in the country.
But do people seeking asylum get this free housing forever? No. When someone gets refugee status, they can no longer stay in asylum accommodation. They can choose where to live, but they have to pay for their rent or ask for government help – like any UK citizen.
