UK Demographics Population data for every community

Bolton

North West · England
-49.3pp WBI 68.8% → 19.5% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
295,960 Population (2021 Census)
68.8% White British (2021)
36.1% White British (2041 projected)
19.5% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.

white british 68.8%
white other 3.2%
asian 20.1%
black 3.8%
mixed 2.3%
other 1.9%

Projected 2051

white british 19.5%
white other 2.8%
asian 43.3%
black 20.3%
mixed 2.4%
other 11.7%

What's driving change?

Shift-share decomposes demographic change into national trend, structural composition, and local factors. Dominant driver: national trend.

-10.7pp Total WBI change
-6.4pp National effect
0.0pp Structural effect
-4.3pp Local effect

Diversity index

diverse Shannon entropy: 0.54 · Dissimilarity: 11.5

Religion

Census 2021 religious composition with projections.

2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]

Muslim population projected: 47.4% by 2051

Country of birth

UK-born (2021) 83.1%
Foreign-born (2021) 16.9%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 48.5%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 89.1%
notEnglishPct 21.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

71/100 High Pressure Rank 14 of 320
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum17/20
School18/20
Language0/20
Housing16/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate44.1%
Avg home ownership46.4%
Avg social rent15.3%
Degree or above20.9%
No qualifications17.2%

Housing demand projection

Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.

Ownership (2021)46.4%
Social rent (2021)15.3%
Private rent (2021)14.4%
Ownership (2041)27.3%
Social rent (2041)10.8%
Social rent change-4.5pp

High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 53,832 pupils.

WBI pupils51.2%
Minority pupils48.8%
EAL growth (projected)+17.5pp
WBI gap (school vs population)17.5pp

Schools are 18pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 89.1%
notEnglishPct 21.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+32.7pp

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 Bolton on Asylum Stats →
Updated 14 Apr 2026 · Census 2021, ONS SNPP, DfE School Census