The United Kingdom's population is predominantly White British (75.98% at the 2021 Census), but due to migration from Commonwealth nations, Britain has become ethnically diverse. The second and third largest non-white racial groups are Asian British at 8.6% of the population, followed by Black British people at 3.71%.
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.
Government data about the UK's different ethnic groups. 82% of people in England and Wales are white, and 18% belong to a black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic group (2021 Census data). Find information about the experiences and outcomes of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
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.
Ethnic Groups of the United States 1820-2023 | US Population by Ancestry
What is the poorest ethnic group in the UK?
According to a parliamentary research report on Poverty in the UK, based on the Households below average income statistics, relative low income rates are highest for people in households in the Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic group. Rates are lowest in white households.
What is the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK?
Mixed-race Britons are the country's fastest-growing minority group. By the end of the century, roughly one in three of the population will be mixed-race, with this figure rising to 75% by 2150. Mixed-race is, quite literally, the future.
Cities across the UK regions with high White British populations included Swansea (91.5%), Kingston Upon Hull (89.7%), Plymouth (92.2%), Darlington (93.7%), Belfast (96.4% – NI classification "white"), Norwich (84.7%), Liverpool (84.8%) and Chelmsford (90.0%).
India, Poland, Pakistan, Romania, and Ireland were the most common countries of birth among UK migrants in 2021/22. Together, the top five countries of origin accounted for 32% of all those born abroad. Family was the most common reason for coming to the UK among the foreign-born population in 2022, followed by work.
Even as the nation's immigrant population has declined in recent months – a change that may be partly artificial due to a declining survey response rate among immigrants – the U.S. is home to more immigrants than any other country.
The most popular destination in the UK among migrants is London. Based on UK census data from 2021 (2022 in Scotland), London emerges as the most popular destination for migrants (Figure 1).
An analysis of migration, birth and death rates up to the end of the 21st century predicts that white British people will decline from their current position as 73 per cent of the population to 57 per cent by 2050 before slipping into a minority by 2063.
Summary of Regional ethnic diversity Areas of England and Wales by ethnicity Summary. 2021 Census data for England and Wales shows that: the most ethnically diverse region was London – 46.2% of residents identified with Asian, black, mixed or 'other' ethnic groups, and a further 17.0% with white ethnic minorities.
The UK is home to the largest Pakistani community in Europe, with the population of British Pakistanis exceeding 1.6 million based on the 2021 Census. British Pakistanis are the second-largest ethnic minority population in the United Kingdom and also make up the second-largest sub-group of British Asians.
Jews in the UK now number around 270,000, with over 260,000 of these in England, which contains the second largest Jewish population in Europe (behind France) and the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide.
After Christianity, the religions with the most adherents are Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, modern paganism, and the Bahá'í Faith. There are also organisations promoting irreligion, including humanism and atheism. In the 2021 census, Shamanism was the fastest growing religion in England.
The Yorkshire city of Bradford had the highest concentration, with just under a quarter of its population Muslim, but two London boroughs had still higher concentrations (Tower Hamlets, with 34.5 per cent, and Newham, with 32 per cent).
Bradford is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities in the UK, often referred to as 'Bradistan' or 'Little Pakistan. ' There is a significant population of over 1.5 million British Pakistanis, with Bradford housing the third-largest concentration of Pakistanis in the UK, following London and Birmingham.
White. "The category 'White' includes all individuals who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa." Some examples of these groups include: German, Italian, Lebanese, Cajun, Chaldean, Slavic, Iranian, French, Polish, Egyptian, Irish, and English.
The number of asylum seekers in the UK reached the highest number on record in 2024 with claims from people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Bangladesh making up one-third of the total. The success rate of asylum applications at the initial decision stage rose sharply from 2018, peaking at a record 76% in 2022.
According to the United Nations, in 2024, the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, France and the United Kingdom had the largest number of immigrants of any country, while Tuvalu, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and Tokelau had the lowest.
