Colchester
East of England · England 192,716 Population (2021 Census)
80.7% White British (2021)
62.0% White British (2041 projected)
49.2% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 80.7%
white other 6.3%
asian 5.1%
black 3.5%
mixed 2.9%
other 1.5%
Projected 2051
white british 49.2%
white other 11.6%
asian 11.4%
black 16.5%
mixed 8.1%
other 3.3%
Diversity index
moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.44 · Dissimilarity: 7.5
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) 85.5%
Foreign-born (2021) 14.5%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 57.6%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 93.4%
notEnglishPct 13.3%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum8/20
School0/20
Language0/20
Housing20/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate57.1%
Avg home ownership59%
Avg social rent12.1%
Degree or above29.6%
No qualifications14%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)59%
Social rent (2021)12.1%
Private rent (2021)20.3%
Ownership (2041)50.2%
Social rent (2041)10.6%
Social rent change-1.5pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 93.4%
notEnglishPct 13.3%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+18.7pp
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 Colchester on Asylum Stats →