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Demographics of London

The demography of London is analysed by the Office for National Statistics and data is produced for each of the Greater London wards, the City of London and the 32 London boroughs, the Inner London and Outer London statistical sub-regions, each of the Parliamentary constituencies in London, and for all of Greater London 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 the White British 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

Population pyramid of each borough in London

Percentage of the population in age groups

Fertility

In 2021, a total of 110,961 live births occurred within the city. The fertility rate of London in 2021 was 1.52, which is below replacement.

Birth statistics in London

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 adjacent South East England and East of England regions. In 2004 the London Plan of the Mayor of London 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 is 11,917,000; it occupies an area of 8,920 square kilometres (3,440 sq mi). 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 of White British 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.

Population pyramids of each ethnic group in London

Ethnicity of school pupils

School pupils as a percentage of the school population in each borough in 2021/2022 school year

Ethnicity of births

Ethnicity of births as a percentage of total births in 2021

Ethnicity in boroughs

This table shows the proportion of different multi-ethnic groups by London borough, as found in the 2021 census.

White multi-ethnic group over time

Asian multi-ethnic group over time

Black multi-ethnic group over time

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.

Foreign born in the County of London (excluding Irish born in images)

Foreign born in London over time

Born to foreign born mothers

Population pyramids of country of birth groupings in 2021

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. 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.

Population pyramids of each religious group in London

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.

Abortion in London

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.

Variety of health issues in graphs

General health

Disability

Income and industry

The vast majority of people within London work in the service sector.

Income and industry of London in images

Industry

Method of transportation to work

Note: The proportion of people working from home in 2021 was distorted by the rules surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hours worked weekly

Distance to travel to work