Bedford
East of England · England 185,224 Population (2021 Census)
64.1% White British (2021)
47.6% White British (2041 projected)
38.7% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 64.1%
white other 11.6%
asian 12.6%
black 5.3%
mixed 4.6%
other 1.8%
Projected 2051
white british 38.7%
white other 17.9%
asian 14.5%
black 11.8%
mixed 9.0%
other 8.1%
Diversity index
diverse Shannon entropy: 0.65 · Dissimilarity: 10.7
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 10.1% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 78.6%
Foreign-born (2021) 21.4%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 55.8%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 87.8%
notEnglishPct 24.3%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum6/20
School16/20
Language0/20
Housing17/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate53.5%
Avg home ownership51.7%
Avg social rent13.8%
Degree or above28.5%
No qualifications13.8%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)51.7%
Social rent (2021)13.8%
Private rent (2021)16.6%
Ownership (2041)45.2%
Social rent (2041)13.5%
Social rent change-0.3pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 31,475 pupils.
WBI pupils48.5%
Minority pupils51.5%
EAL growth (projected)+15.6pp
WBI gap (school vs population)15.6pp
Schools are 16pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 87.8%
notEnglishPct 24.3%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+16.5pp
Interpreter demand is manageable at current levels.
Asylum and immigration data
Asylum seekers on support, hotel costs, grant rates, and the True Cost of Asylum for this area.
View Bedford on Asylum Stats →