Ethnic groups (current)
According to the Office for National Statistics, based on the 2021 census, 53.8% of the 8,173,941 inhabitants of London were White, with 36.8% White British, 1.8% White Irish, 0.1% Gypsy or Irish Traveller, 0.4% Roma and 14.7% classified as Other White.[1] Meanwhile, 22.2% of Londoners were of Asian or mixed-Asian descent, with 20.8% being of full Asian descent and 1.4% being of mixed-Asian heritage. Indians accounted for 7.5% of the population, followed by Bangladeshis and Pakistanis at 3.7% and 3.3% respectively. Chinese people accounted for 1.7%, and Arabs for 1.6%. A further 4.6% were classified as "Other Asian."[1] 15.9% of London's population were of Black or mixed-Black descent. 13.5% were of full Black descent, with persons of mixed-Black heritage comprising 2.4%. Black Africans accounted for 7.9% of London's population; 3.9% identified as Black Caribbean, and 1.7% as "Other Black." 5.7% were of mixed race.[1] This ethnic structure has changed considerably since the 1960s. Estimates for 1961 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 179,109 comprising 2.3% of the population at the time,[2][3] having risen since then to 1,346,119 and 20.2% in 1991[4] and 4,068,553 and 46.2% in 2021.[5] Of those of a White British background, estimates for 1971 put the population at 6,500,000 and 87% of the total population,[6] which fell to 3,239,281 and 36.8% in 2021.[5]
As of 2021 the majority of London's school pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds. 23.9% were White British, 14% Other White, 23.2% Asian, 17.9% Black, 11.3% Mixed, 6.3% Other and 2.3% unclassified.[7] Altogether at the 2021 census, of London's 1,695,741 population aged 0 to 15, 42% were White in total, splitting it down into 30.9% who were White British, 0.5% Irish, 10.6% Other White, 23% Asian, 16.4% Black, 12% Mixed and 6.6% another ethnic group.[8]
Religion (current)
According to the 2021 Census, the largest religious groupings were Christians (40.66%), followed by those of no religion (20.7%), Muslims (15%), no response (8.5%), Hindus (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), Sikhs (1.64%), Buddhists (1.0%) and other (0.8%).[9][10]
London has traditionally been Christian, and has a large number of churches, particularly in the City of London. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres,[11] while the Archbishop of Canterbury, principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion, has their main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth.[12]
Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey.[13] The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral, the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Wales.[14] Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is low within the denomination. Anglican Church attendance continues a long, steady decline, according to Church of England statistics.[15]
Notable mosques include the East London Mosque in Tower Hamlets, which is allowed to give the Islamic call to prayer through loudspeakers, the London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park[16] and the Baitul Futuh of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. After the oil boom, increasing numbers of wealthy Middle-Eastern Arab Muslims based themselves around Mayfair, Kensington and Knightsbridge in West London.[17][18][19] There are large Bengali Muslim communities in the eastern boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham.[20]
Large Hindu communities are found in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter hosting what was until 2006[21] Europe's largest Hindu temple, Neasden Temple.[22] London is home to 44 Hindu temples, including the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London. There are Sikh communities in East and West London, particularly in Southall, home to one of the largest Sikh populations and the largest Sikh temple outside India.[23]
The majority of British Jews live in London, with notable Jewish communities in Stamford Hill, Stanmore, Golders Green, Finchley, Hampstead, Hendon and Edgware, all in North London. Opened in 1701, Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London is affiliated to London's historic Sephardic Jewish community. It is the oldest continually active synagogue in Europe having held regular services for over 300 years.[24] Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has the largest membership of any Orthodox synagogue in Europe.[25] The London Jewish Forum was set up in 2006 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.[26]
Ethnic groups (suggested)
The population of London was historically ethnically homogeneous, White British, but is now polyethnic, with the largest ethnic group, White British, constituting 36.8% of the population in the 2021 census. This proportion has consistently declined in each modern census, down from 59.8% in the 2001 census.
In the 2021 census, the ethnic composition of London comprised: 53.8% White, 20.7% Asian, 13.5% Black, 5.7% Mixed, and 6.3% Other.
- White (53.8%): English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British (36.8%), Irish (1.8%), Gypsy or Irish Traveller (0.1%), Roma (0.4%), and Other White (14.7%).
- Asian (20.7%): Indian (7.5%), Pakistani (3.3%), Bangladeshi (3.7%), Chinese (1.7%), and Other Asian (4.6%).
- Black (13.5%): African (7.9%), Caribbean (3.9%), and Other Black (1.7%).
- Mixed (5.7%): White and Asian (1.4%), White and Black African (0.9%), White and Black Caribbean (1.5%), and Other Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups (1.9%).
- Other (6.3%): Arab (1.6%) and Any other ethnic group (4.7%).
Note: Sub-group totals may not sum exactly to the group total due to rounding.
More information Ethnic Group, 2001 Census ...
Ethnic groups in London
| Ethnic Group |
2001 Census[27] |
2011 Census[28] |
2021 Census[29] |
| White | 71.2% | 59.8% | 53.8% |
| Asian | 13.2% | 18.5% | 20.7% |
| Black | 10.9% | 13.3% | 13.5% |
| Mixed | 3.2% | 5.0% | 5.7% |
| Other | 1.6% | 3.4% | 6.3% |
Close
Note: The 2001 census figures for 'Asian' and 'Other' have been adjusted to reflect the 2011 reclassification of the Chinese ethnic group from 'Other' to 'Asian' to allow comparison across census years.
This ethnic structure has changed considerably since the 1960s. Estimates for 1961 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 179,109 comprising 2.3% of the population at the time,[30][31] having risen since then to 1,346,119 and 20.2% in 1991[32] and 4,068,553 and 46.2% in 2021.[5] Of those of a White British background, estimates for 1971 put the population at 6,500,000 and 87% of the total population,[33] which fell to 3,239,281 and 36.8% in 2021.[5]
As of 2021, the majority of London's school pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds. 23.9% were White British, 14% Other White, 23.2% Asian, 17.9% Black, 11.3% Mixed, 6.3% Other and 2.3% unclassified.[34] Altogether at the 2021 census, of London's 1,695,741 population aged 0 to 15, 42% were White in total, splitting it down into 30.9% who were White British, 0.5% Irish, 10.6% Other White, 23% Asian, 16.4% Black, 12% Mixed and 6.6% another ethnic group.[35]
Religion (suggested)
London was historically an overwhelmingly Christian city, but now Christians form a minority of the population, though Christianity is still the largest religion in London. In the 2021 census, the religious composition of London comprised: 40.7% Christianity, 27.1% No religion, 15.0% Islam, 5.1% Hinduism, 1.7% Judaism, 1.6% Sikhism, 0.9% Buddhism, 1.0% Other religion, and 7.0% Not stated.
The most substantial recent changes in the religious composition of London are the significant decrease in Christianity from 58.2% in the 2001 census to 40.7% in the 2021 census, the significant increase in No religion from 15.8% in the 2001 census to 27.1% in the 2021 census, and the significant increase in Islam from 8.5% in the 2001 census to 15.0% in the 2021 census.
More information Religion, 2001 Census ...
Religion in London
| Religion |
2001 Census[36] |
2011 Census[37] |
2021 Census[38] |
| Christian | 58.2% | 48.4% | 40.7% |
| No religion | 15.8% | 20.7% | 27.1% |
| Muslim | 8.5% | 12.4% | 15.0% |
| Hindu | 4.1% | 5.0% | 5.1% |
| Jewish | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
| Sikh | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| Buddhist | 0.8% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Other religion | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Not stated | 8.7% | 8.5% | 7.0% |
Close
London has traditionally been Christian, and has a large number of churches, particularly in the City of London. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres,[11] while the Archbishop of Canterbury, principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion, has their main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth.[12]
Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey.[13] The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral, the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Wales.[14] Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is low within the denomination. Anglican Church attendance continues a long, steady decline, according to Church of England statistics.[15]
Notable mosques include the East London Mosque in Tower Hamlets, which is allowed to give the Islamic call to prayer through loudspeakers, the London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park[16] and the Baitul Futuh of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. After the oil boom, increasing numbers of wealthy Middle-Eastern Arab Muslims based themselves around Mayfair, Kensington and Knightsbridge in West London.[39][40][19] There are large Bengali Muslim communities in the eastern boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham.[41]
Large Hindu communities are found in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter hosting what was until 2006[42] Europe's largest Hindu temple, Neasden Temple.[22] London is home to 44 Hindu temples, including the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London. There are Sikh communities in East and West London, particularly in Southall, home to one of the largest Sikh populations and the largest Sikh temple outside India.[23]
The majority of British Jews live in London, with notable Jewish communities in Stamford Hill, Stanmore, Golders Green, Finchley, Hampstead, Hendon and Edgware, all in North London. Opened in 1701, Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London is affiliated to London's historic Sephardic Jewish community. It is the oldest continually active synagogue in Europe having held regular services for over 300 years.[43] Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has the largest membership of any Orthodox synagogue in Europe.[25] The London Jewish Forum was set up in 2006 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.[26] Bathyal (talk) 11:22, 15 December 2025 (UTC)
References
Goodhew, David; Cooper, Anthony-Paul (2018), "The Desecularisation of the City: London's Churches, 1980 to the Present", The Desecularisation of the City, Routledge, pp. 3–38, doi:10.4324/9781351167765-1, ISBN 978-1-351-16776-5, S2CID 240171114, retrieved 14 January 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) "Hindu London". BBC London. 6 June 2005. Archived from the original on 18 February 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2006. "Stanmore". The Jewish Agency for Israel. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2008. Goodhew, David; Cooper, Anthony-Paul (2018), "The Desecularisation of the City: London's Churches, 1980 to the Present", The Desecularisation of the City, Routledge, pp. 3–38, doi:10.4324/9781351167765-1, ISBN 978-1-351-16776-5, S2CID 240171114, retrieved 14 January 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
- We don't need any tables crowding the layout. The image and the text next to it is already sufficient. Furthermore, the article was previously trimmed due to size thus avoid adding unnecessary bytes. Nampa DC (talk) 15:19, 15 December 2025 (UTC)
- Thank you for your feedback. Before publishing, I would now add a collapsible function so that users could click 'hide'. Historical demographic tables with a hide function are used on other pages, such as on the 'Washington, D.C.' page. Bathyal (talk) 17:35, 17 December 2025 (UTC)
- Same issues apply, the material is excessive for this article. The sub articles, such as demographics of London and religion in London, that's where more detail, such as tables etc., can be added as those are smaller articles with plenty of room for added bytes, not the London article, which gives a concise overview, and where bytes had to be removed in order to keep within article size. Hells Bells7 (talk) 20:01, 23 December 2025 (UTC)
level-3 vital article is rated GA-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
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