Demography Of London on:
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The demography of London is analysed by the
The historical population for the current area of Greater London, divided into the statistical areas of Inner and Outer London is as follows:
File:Barking and Dagenham population pyramid.svg, Barking and Dagenham
File:Barnet population pyramid.svg, Barnet
File:Bexley population pyramid.svg, Bexley
File:Brent population pyramid.svg, Brent
File:Bromley population pyramid.svg, Bromley
File:Camden population pyramid.svg, Camden
File:City of London population pyramid.svg, City of London
File:Croydon population pyramid.svg, Croydon
File:Ealing population pyramid.svg, Ealing
File:Enfield population pyramid.svg, Enfield
File:Hackney population pyramid.svg, Hackney
File:Greenwich population pyramid.svg, Greenwich
File:Harrow population pyramid.svg, Harrow
File:Hammersmith and Fulham population pyramid.svg, Hammersmith and Fulham
File:Haringey population pyramid.svg, Haringey
File:Hillingdon population pyramid.svg, Hillingdon
File:Havering population pyramid.svg, Havering
File:Hounslow population pyramid.svg, Hounslow
File:Islington population pyramid.svg, Islington
File:Kensington and Chelsea population pyramid.svg, Kensington and Chelsea
File:Kingston upon Thames population pyramid.svg, Kingston upon Thames
File:Lambeth population pyramid.svg, Lambeth
File:Lewisham population pyramid.svg, Lewisham
File:Merton population pyramid.svg, Merton
File:Newham population pyramid.svg, Newham
File:Redbridge population pyramid.svg, Redbridge
File:Richmond upon Thames population pyramid.svg, Richmond upon Thames
File:Southwark population pyramid.svg, Southwark
File:Sutton population pyramid.svg, Sutton
File:Waltham Forest population pyramid.svg, Waltham Forest
File:Tower Hamlets population pyramid.svg, Tower Hamlets
File:Wandsworth population pyramid.svg, Wandsworth
File:Westminster population pyramid.svg, Westminster
File:Under 15s in London.svg, Under 15s in London
File:15 to 64 year olds (working age population) in London.svg, 15 to 64 year olds
File:Over 65s in London.svg, Over 64 years old
In 2023, a total of 104,252 live births occurred within the city. The fertility rate of London in 2023 was 1.35, which is below replacement.
File:Teenage conception rate in London.svg, Teenage conception rate in London
The population density of London was 5,727 per km2 in 2011.
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents from estimates in 1971 and in the 1991 – 2021 censuses in Greater London.
File:White total in London population pyramid 2021.svg, White: Total
File:White British in London population pyramid 2021.svg, White British
File:White Irish in London population pyramid 2021.svg, White Irish
File:White Other in London population pyramid 2021.svg, White Other
File:Asian total in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Asian: Total
File:Asian Bangladeshi in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Asian Bangladeshi
File:Asian Indian in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Asian Indian
File:Asian Pakistani in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Asian Pakistani
File:Asian Chinese in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Asian Chinese
File:Other Asian in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Other Asian
File:Black total in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Black: Total
File:Black Caribbean in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Black: Caribbean
File:Black African in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Black: African
File:Other Black in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Other Black
File:Mixed total in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Mixed: Total
File:Other total in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Other: Total
File:Other ethnic group in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Other: Any other ethnic group
File:Arabs in London population pyramid 2021.svg, Other: Arabs
Ethnicity of school pupils
File:White total school children in London.svg, White: Total
File:White British school pupils percentage.svg, White: Ethnicity of births
File:White births in London in 2021.svg, White (49.6% including Not stated)
File:White British births in London in 2021.svg, White: British (24.9% including Not stated)
File:Asian births in London in 2021.svg, Asian (22.1%)
File:Black births in London in 2021.svg, Black (12.2%)
File:Mixed births in London 2021.svg, Mixed (11.3%)
File:1991 White percentage London.svg, 1991 (79.8%)
File:White London 2001.png, 2001 (71.2%)
File:2011 London White distribution.png, 2011 (59.8%)
File:White London 2021.png, 2021 (53.8%)
File:1991 Asian percentage London.svg, 1991 (10.3%)
File:Asian London 2001.png, 2001 (13.2%)
File:2011 London Asian distribution.png, 2011 (18.5%)
File:Asian London 2021.png, 2021 (20.8%)
File:1991 Black percentage London.svg, 1991 (8%)
File:Black London 2001.png, 2001 (10.9%)
File:2011 London Black %.png, 2011 (13.3%)
File:Black London 2021.png, 2021 (13.5%)
The 2021 census recorded that 3,575,740 people or 40.7% of London's population are foreign-born (including 27.9% born in a non-European country).
NOTE: The sub-categories included for each continent may not add up to their respective total amount because the sub categories are only supposed to show the most numerous country of birth from said area.
File:1901 Foreign born in London.svg, 1901 (5% overall including Irish born)
File:1911 Foreign born in London.svg, 1911 (5% overall including Irish born)
File:1921 Foreign born in London.svg, 1921 (4% overall including Irish born)
File:1931 Foreign born in London.svg, 1931 (5% overall including Irish born)
File:1951 Foreign born in London.svg, 1951 (8% overall including Irish born)
File:Foreign born in London in 1961.svg, 1961 (9.8%)
File:Foreign born in London in 1971.svg, 1971 (15.3%)
File:Foreign born in London in 1981.svg, 1981 (18.2%)
File:Foreign born in London in 1991.svg, 1991 (21.7%)
File:Foreign born in London in 2001.svg, 2001 (27.1%)
File:Foreign born in London in 2011.svg, 2011 (36.7%)
File:Foreign born in London boroughs 2021.svg, 2021 (40.7%)
File:Born to foreign born mothers - 2007 in London.svg, 2007
File:Born to foreign born mothers - 2014 in London.svg, 2014
File:Born to foreign born mothers - 2021 in London.svg, 2021
File:London UK born population pyramid in 2021.svg, UK born
File:London foreign born population pyramid in 2021.svg, Foreign born: Total
According to the 2011 Census, 6,083,420 or 77.9% of London's population aged 3 and over spoke English as a main language, with a further 1,406,912 (19.8%) speaking it as a second language or well to very well. 271,693 (3.5%) could not speak English well, while 47,917 (0.6%) could not speak English at all. 2,456 (<0.1%) spoke other UK minority languages, with the most common being Welsh and 2,926 (<0.1%) used
London's religious landscape over the past two decades has undergone significant change. In 2001, Christians constituted the majority at 58.23%, but by 2021, this percentage had declined to 40.66%. Meanwhile, the population identifying with no religion saw a significant increase, rising from 15.76% in 2001 to 27.05% in 2021. This shift suggests a growing trend of secularization in the city.
The Muslim population also experienced notable growth, increasing from 8.46% in 2001 to 14.99% in 2021. The number of individuals who chose not to state their religion slightly fluctuated during these years, from 8.66% in 2001 to 7.00% in 2021.
Hinduism saw steady growth, constituting 4.07% of the population in 2001 and rising to 5.15% in 2021. The Jewish community remained relatively stable but saw a slight decline from 2.09% to 1.65% over the same period. Sikhism also experienced growth, albeit modest, from 1.45% in 2001 to 1.64% in 2021. Other religions, including Buddhism, collectively accounted for small but fluctuating percentages, with Buddhism specifically ranging from 0.76% in 2001 to 0.88% in 2021.
These changes are influenced by various factors, including immigration, generational attitudes, and broader social trends.
File:Christian population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Christian
File:No religion population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, No religion
File:No answer population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, None stated
File:Muslim population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Muslim
File:Hindu population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Hindu
File:Buddhist population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Buddhist
File:Sikh population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Sikh
File:Jewish population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Jewish
File:Other religion population pyramid in 2021 in London.svg, Other religion
Ethnicity by religion
File:Percentage of conceptions aborted in London.svg, Percentage of conceptions aborted in London by each borough in 2020
File:Abortion rates by age group in London.svg, Abortion rates by age group in London
File:Age standardised suicide rates in London.svg, Suicide rates in London
File:Drug misuse rate in London.svg, Drug misuse rate in London
File:Percentage of Year 6s obese in 2020 in London.svg, Percentage of Year 6s obese in 2020 in London
File:Percentage of Reception age children obese in 2020 in London.svg, Percentage of Reception age children obese in 2020
File:Employment rate in London.svg, Employment rate in London
File:Unemployment rate in London.svg, Unemployment rate in London
File:GDHI across London in 2020.svg, Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) across London in 2020
File:Employment in public or private sector in London.svg, Employment in public or private sector in London
Note: The order of options for the census question on national identity was changed between 2011 and 2021. In 2011 "English only" was the first group listed whereas in 2021 "British only" was first instead.
File:London English only identity population pyramid in 2021.svg, English only identity
File:London English and British identity population pyramid in 2021.svg, English and British identity
File:London British only identity population pyramid in 2021.svg, British only identity
File:London UK and non-UK identity population pyramid in 2021.svg, UK and non-UK identity
File:London Non-UK only identity population pyramid in 2021.svg, Non-UK only identity
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS; ) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament.
Overview
The ONS is responsible fo ...
and data is produced for each of the Greater London wards, the City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
and the 32 London boroughs
The London boroughs are the current 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London, England; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs wer ...
, the Inner London
Inner London is the group of London boroughs that form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. With its origins in the bills of mortality, it became fixed as an area for statistics in 1847 and was used as an area ...
and Outer London
Outer London is the group of London boroughs that form a ring around Inner London. Together, the inner and outer boroughs form London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. The population at the 2021 Census was 5,395,500, which means over 60% o ...
statistical sub-regions, each of the Parliamentary constituencies in London, and for all of Greater London
Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
as a whole. Additionally, data is produced for the Greater London Urban Area. Statistical information is produced about the size and geographical breakdown of the population, the number of people entering and leaving country and the number of people in each demographic subgroup. The total population of London as of 2021 is 8,799,800.
History
Creation of Greater London: 1965
Through the London Government Act of 1963, the Greater London region was established officially in 1965.Migration boom: 1991 to today
From 1997 onwards, London has experienced a drastic change in the composition of the city's population, which has off set the decline of the population which had been occurring . In 1991, 21.7% of the city was foreign born but by 2011 this had risen to 36.7%. In 2011, a historic tipping point occurred with the release of the 2011 census indicating that theWhite British
White British is an ethnicity classification used for the White population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population was 49 ...
population, which had before been the majority, was now no longer a majority of the city's population, although it remained by far the largest single ethnic group.
Population
The historical population for the current area of Greater London, divided into the statistical areas of Inner and Outer London is as follows:
Age
Fertility
In 2023, a total of 104,252 live births occurred within the city. The fertility rate of London in 2023 was 1.35, which is below replacement.
Population density
The population density of London was 5,727 per km2 in 2011.
Urban and metropolitan area
At the 2001 census, the population of the Greater London Urban Area was 8,278,251. This area does not include some outliers within Greater London, but does extend into the adjacentSouth East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England that are in the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, top level category for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the nine counties of england, ...
and East of England
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact ...
regions. In 2004 the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority. It is updated from time to time.
The regio ...
of the Mayor of London
The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom.
The current ...
defined a metropolitan region with a population of 18 million. Eurostat has developed a harmonising standard for comparing metropolitan areas in the European Union and the population of the London Larger Urban Zone
The functional urban area (FUA), previously known as larger urban zone (LUZ), is a measure of the population and expanse of metropolitan and surrounding areas which may or may not be exclusively urban. It consists of a city and its commuting zo ...
is 11,917,000; it occupies an area of . Another definition gives the population of the metropolitan area as 13,709,000.
Ethnicity
For the overwhelming majority of London's history, the population of the city was ethnically homogenous with the population being ofWhite British
White British is an ethnicity classification used for the White population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population was 49 ...
ethnic origin, with small clusters of minority groups such as Jewish people, most notably in areas of the East End. From 1948 onwards and especially since the 1990s, the population has diversified in international terms at an increased rate. In 2011, it was reported for the first time that White British people had become a minority within the city, establishing it was a majority-minority city within the country. In 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and 50 non-indigenous communities with a population of more than 10,000 in London.
Ethnicity overall
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents from estimates in 1971 and in the 1991 – 2021 censuses in Greater London.
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Ethnicity in boroughs
This table shows the proportion of different multi-ethnic groups by London borough, as found in the 2021 census.Country of birth
The 2021 census recorded that 3,575,740 people or 40.7% of London's population are foreign-born (including 27.9% born in a non-European country).
NOTE: The sub-categories included for each continent may not add up to their respective total amount because the sub categories are only supposed to show the most numerous country of birth from said area.Languages
According to the 2011 Census, 6,083,420 or 77.9% of London's population aged 3 and over spoke English as a main language, with a further 1,406,912 (19.8%) speaking it as a second language or well to very well. 271,693 (3.5%) could not speak English well, while 47,917 (0.6%) could not speak English at all. 2,456 (<0.1%) spoke other UK minority languages, with the most common being Welsh and 2,926 (<0.1%) used British Sign Language
British Sign Language (BSL) is a sign language used in the United Kingdom and is the first or preferred language among the Deafness in the United Kingdom, deaf community in the UK. While private correspondence from William Stokoe hinted at a f ...
. This shows also great challenges for TfL and other government services, for example most ticket vending machines use only English, French and up to 2 other western Europe hemisphere languages, while as shown below most demand is for Indian languages, Polish, etc.
The most common main languages spoken in Greater London according to the 2011 and 2021 censuses are shown below.
Main language
Proficiency in English
Religion
London's religious landscape over the past two decades has undergone significant change. In 2001, Christians constituted the majority at 58.23%, but by 2021, this percentage had declined to 40.66%. Meanwhile, the population identifying with no religion saw a significant increase, rising from 15.76% in 2001 to 27.05% in 2021. This shift suggests a growing trend of secularization in the city.
The Muslim population also experienced notable growth, increasing from 8.46% in 2001 to 14.99% in 2021. The number of individuals who chose not to state their religion slightly fluctuated during these years, from 8.66% in 2001 to 7.00% in 2021.
Hinduism saw steady growth, constituting 4.07% of the population in 2001 and rising to 5.15% in 2021. The Jewish community remained relatively stable but saw a slight decline from 2.09% to 1.65% over the same period. Sikhism also experienced growth, albeit modest, from 1.45% in 2001 to 1.64% in 2021. Other religions, including Buddhism, collectively accounted for small but fluctuating percentages, with Buddhism specifically ranging from 0.76% in 2001 to 0.88% in 2021.
These changes are influenced by various factors, including immigration, generational attitudes, and broader social trends.
Social issues
Marriage and divorce
In 2019, a total of 29,139 marriages occurred within London.Abortion
In 2020, 27.7% of conceptions were aborted in the city.Sexual orientation and gender identity
Health
In 2021, the suicide rate in total was 6.6 for every 100,000 people. For males this was 9.9 and for females this was 3.4.General health
Disability
Income and industry
The vast majority of people within London work in theservice sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
.Industry
Method of transportation to work Note: The proportion of people working from home in 2021 was distorted by the rules surrounding theCOVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
Hours worked weekly
Distance to travel to work
Note: The proportion of people working from home in 2021 was distorted by the rules surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
National identity
Note: The order of options for the census question on national identity was changed between 2011 and 2021. In 2011 "English only" was the first group listed whereas in 2021 "British only" was first instead.Housing
Tenure by country of birth
Education
Level of qualification
See also
*Demographics of the United Kingdom
The population of the United Kingdom was estimated at 68,300,000 in 2023. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, 21st most populated country in the world and has a population density of , with England having significantly ...
* Demographics of England
The demography of England has since 1801 been measured by the decennial national census, and is marked by centuries of population growth and urbanization. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources, estimates of the population of ...
* Demographics of Birmingham
* Demographics of Greater Manchester
* Religion in London
* Religion in England
Religion in England is characterised by a variety of beliefs and practices that has historically been dominated by Christianity. Christianity remains the largest religion, though it makes up less than half of the population. As of the 2021 Uni ...
* List of English cities by population
* List of English districts by population
This is a list of the districts of England ordered by population, according to estimated figures for from the Office for National Statistics.
The list consists of 164 non-metropolitan districts, 32 London boroughs, 36 metropolitan boroughs, 6 ...
* List of English districts and their ethnic composition
This is a list of districts of England showing their ethnic composition as recorded in the 2021 census. There were 309 English districts at the time of the 2021 census.
Census respondents were asked, 'What is your ethnic group? Choose section ...
* List of English districts by area
This is a list of the districts of England ordered by area, according to Standard Area Measurements published by the Office for National Statistics. The area is defined as 'area to mean high water excluding inland water'.
The list consists of 1 ...
* List of English districts by population density
This is a list of the districts of England ordered by population density, according to estimated figures for from the Office for National Statistics.
The list consists of 164 non-metropolitan districts, 32 London boroughs, 36 metropolitan bor ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demography Of London Geography of LondonLondon
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
History of London