Islam in England - Demography and Ethnic Background

Demography and Ethnic Background

According to the 2011 Census, 2.7 million Muslims live in England where they form 5.0% of the population.

British Muslim population by Ethnic group (Source: 2001 Census)
Number of Muslims Muslims as % of ethnic group Ethnic group as % of Muslims
White 179,733 0.4 11.6
White British 63,042 0.1 4.1
White Irish 890 0.1 <0.1
Other White 115,841 8.6 7.5
Mixed 64,262 9.7 4.2
White & Black Caribbean 1,385 0.6 0.1
White & Black African 10,523 13.3 0.7
White & Asian 30,397 16.1 2.0
Other Mixed 21,957 14.1 1.4
Asian or Asian British 1,139,065 50.1 73.7
Indian 131,662 12.7 8.5
Pakistani 657,680 92.0 42.5
Bangladeshi 261,776 92.5 16.8
Other Asian 90,013 37.3 5.8
Black or Black British 106,345 9.3 6.9
Black Caribbean 4,477 0.8 0.3
Black African 96,136 20.0 6.2
Other Black 5,732 6.0 0.4
Chinese 752 0.3 <0.1
Other Ethnic Group 56,429 25.7 3.7
Total 1,546,626 3.0 100

The settlements with large number of Muslims are Bradford, Luton, Blackburn, Birmingham, London and Dewsbury. There are also high numbers in High Wycombe, Slough, Leicester, Derby, Manchester, Liverpool and the mill towns of Northern England.

The local authorities with a Muslim population greater than 10 percent in 2001 were:

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets 36.4% 71,389
  • London Borough of Newham 24.3% 59,293
  • Blackburn with Darwen 19.4% 26,674
  • City of Bradford 16.1% 75,188
  • London Borough of Waltham Forest 15.1% 32,902
  • Luton 14.6% 26,963
  • Birmingham 14.3% 139,771
  • High Wycombe 14.1%, 9,708
  • London Borough of Hackney 13.8% 27,908
  • London Borough of Enfield 13.5% 37,388
  • Pendle 13.4% 11,988
  • Slough 13.4% 15,897
  • London Borough of Brent 12.3% 32,290
  • London Borough of Redbridge 11.9% 28,487
  • City of Westminster 11.8% 21,346
  • London Borough of Camden 11.6% 22,906
  • London Borough of Haringey 11.3% 24,371
  • Metropolitan Borough of Oldham 11.1% 24,039
  • Leicester 11.0% 30,885
  • London Borough of Ealing 10.3% 31,033
  • Kirklees 10.1% 39,312

Most large cities have one area that is a majority Muslim even if the rest of the city has a fairly small Muslims population; see, for example, Harehills in Leeds. In addition, it is possible to find small areas that are almost entirely Muslim: for example, Savile Town in Dewsbury.

In September 2009, the ONS published information showing that Mohammed (or variations of it) was the third most popular boys' name in England and Wales.

Some 38% of England's Muslims live in London, where 1,012,823 identified as Muslim in 2011 representing 12.4% of London's population of 8,173,941.

Read more about this topic:  Islam In England

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