UK Demographics Population data for every community

Central Bedfordshire

East of England · England
-29.0pp WBI 83.5% → 54.5% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
294,251 Population (2021 Census)
83.5% White British (2021)
66.8% White British (2041 projected)
54.5% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

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

white british 83.5%
white other 6.7%
asian 3.5%
black 2.4%
mixed 3.0%
other 0.8%

Projected 2051

white british 54.5%
white other 22.4%
asian 6.5%
black 6.0%
mixed 9.4%
other 1.1%

What's driving change?

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

-6.1pp Total WBI change
-6.4pp National effect
-0.8pp Structural effect
+1.0pp Local effect

Diversity index

moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.38 · Dissimilarity: 10.4

Religion

Census 2021 religious composition with projections.

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

Country of birth

UK-born (2021) 89.0%
Foreign-born (2021) 11.0%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 36.5%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.1%
notEnglishPct 9.7%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

45/100 Moderate Pressure Rank 113 of 320
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum3/20
School10/20
Language0/20
Housing13/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate62.7%
Avg home ownership68.3%
Avg social rent12.6%
Degree or above31.3%
No qualifications14.1%

Housing demand projection

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

Ownership (2021)68.3%
Social rent (2021)12.6%
Private rent (2021)13.2%
Ownership (2041)63.5%
Social rent (2041)11.8%
Social rent change-0.8pp

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

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 48,740 pupils.

WBI pupils74.0%
Minority pupils26.0%
EAL growth (projected)+9.5pp
WBI gap (school vs population)9.5pp

Schools are 10pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.1%
notEnglishPct 9.7%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+16.7pp

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