Doncaster

Yorkshire and The Humber · England · E08000017

This profile covers population at the 2021 Census, ethnicity, religion and country of birth with projections to 2051, arrivals since 2002, housing, schools and services, drawn from ONS, DWP, DfE and other official statistics. Modelled projections are labelled as such. Read the methodology and limitations or inspect the official sources.

Location map showing Doncaster highlighted against neighbouring local authorities.

Doncaster had 308,104 residents at the 2021 Census, up 1.9% from 302,402 in 2011. The three largest ethnic groups were White British (86.6%), White Other (6.5%) and Asian (3.0%). This site's Hamilton-Perry model (version 8.0, projected from the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, held within the ONS 2022-based subnational population projections) puts the three largest groups in 2051 at White British (64.0%), White Other (16.7%) and Other (6.7%).

-22.6pp White British 86.6% → 64.0% by 2051 Projected
308,104 Population (2021 Census)
86.6% White British (2021) Census
73.5% -13.2pp White British (2041) Projected
64.0% -22.6pp White British (2051) Projected

Doncaster and the councils that border it, on the map

Doncaster's estimated population rose 6.8% between mid-2011 and mid-2025, from 302,468 to 323,016 (ONS mid-year estimates, table MYE4). Its White British share fell 5.2 points between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, from 91.8% to 86.6% (ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW, Census 2021 table TS021).

Map: Population change since 2011, mid-2025 estimate. Doncaster and the councils that border it. Barnsley +9.0%; Bassetlaw +11.9%; Doncaster +6.8%; East Riding of Yorkshire +7.7%; North Lincolnshire +2.3%; North Yorkshire +6.3%; Rotherham +8.3%; Wakefield +13.2%.Doncaster: +6.8%Barnsley: +9.0%Bassetlaw: +11.9%East Riding of Yorkshire: +7.7%North Lincolnshire: +2.3%North Yorkshire: +6.3%Rotherham: +8.3%Wakefield: +13.2%Doncaster+6.8%323,016 peopleBassetlaw+11.9%NorthLincolnshire+2.3%Wakefield+13.2%Barnsley+9.0%Rotherham+8.3%Doncaster86.6%fell 5.2 pts from 2011Bassetlaw92.0%NorthLincolnshire88.7%Wakefield88.2%Barnsley92.6%Rotherham88.3%ukdemographics.co.ukukdemographics.co.ukUK DemographicsPopulation data for every community2025Population change since 2011Doncaster and the councils that border itONS ESTIMATE−4−1+1+4+8+12%Change in the estimated resident population at 30 June, compared withmid-2011.Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.ukdemographics.co.ukEvery figure sourced.UK DemographicsPopulation data for every community2021White British share of residentsDoncaster and the councils that border itCENSUS · OBSERVED405060708090%England and Wales 2011: 80.5%England and Wales 2021: 74.4%Share of usual residents in the White: English, Welsh, Scottish, NorthernIrish or British group.Source: ONS Census 2011, table KS201EW.2011 figure summed from the 2011 districts now in the council: NorthYorkshire.Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.Share of usual residents in the White: English, Welsh, Scottish, NorthernIrish or British group.Source: ONS Census 2021, table TS021; change from Census 2011, tableKS201EW.2011 figure summed from the 2011 districts now in the council: NorthYorkshire.Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.ukdemographics.co.ukEvery figure sourced.

Population of Doncaster, 2011 to 2025

mid-2025 estimate
Doncaster and the councils that border it, A to Z. ONS estimates of the resident population at 30 June. Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).
CouncilMid-2011Mid-2025Change
Barnsley231,865252,784+9.0%
Bassetlaw113,003126,454+11.9%
Doncaster302,468323,016+6.8%
East Riding of Yorkshire334,673360,334+7.7%
North Lincolnshire167,516171,421+2.3%
North Yorkshire601,206639,133+6.3%
Rotherham257,716279,161+8.3%
Wakefield326,433369,450+13.2%
Change since mid-2011, every year
Change in the estimated population compared with mid-2011, A to Z. Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).
Council201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Barnsley0.0%+0.6%+1.3%+2.0%+2.8%+3.5%+4.1%+4.5%+5.0%+5.3%+5.6%+6.4%+7.3%+8.4%+9.0%
Bassetlaw0.0%+0.2%+0.5%+0.9%+1.2%+1.7%+2.4%+2.8%+3.1%+3.6%+4.7%+6.2%+8.5%+10.4%+11.9%
Doncaster0.0%+0.1%+0.2%+0.4%+0.6%+1.2%+1.5%+1.9%+2.0%+1.9%+2.1%+3.1%+4.4%+5.9%+6.8%
East Riding of Yorkshire0.0%+0.1%0.0%+0.3%0.0%+0.5%+0.6%+0.8%+1.3%+1.9%+2.5%+3.5%+4.9%+6.2%+7.7%
North Lincolnshire0.0%+0.3%+0.5%+0.8%+1.0%+1.6%+1.9%+1.7%+1.7%+1.5%+1.4%+1.6%+1.9%+2.3%+2.3%
North Yorkshire0.0%+0.5%+0.5%+0.4%+0.4%+0.8%+1.0%+1.1%+1.6%+1.6%+2.9%+3.7%+4.5%+5.4%+6.3%
Rotherham0.0%+0.4%+0.6%+1.4%+1.7%+2.2%+2.5%+2.9%+3.2%+3.1%+3.3%+4.2%+5.7%+7.2%+8.3%
Wakefield0.0%+0.4%+1.1%+1.6%+2.3%+3.3%+4.4%+5.5%+6.7%+7.5%+8.4%+9.6%+11.0%+12.4%+13.2%

Ethnic groups in Doncaster, 2011 and 2021

Census 2021

The map shows the White British share. The bars show all six groups, on one scale, for each council in 2011 and 2021.

  • White British
  • White Other
  • Asian
  • Black
  • Mixed
  • Other

Barnsley

2011
2021

Bassetlaw

2011
2021

Doncaster

2011
2021

East Riding of Yorkshire

2011
2021

North Lincolnshire

2011
2021

North Yorkshire

2011
2021

Rotherham

2011
2021

Wakefield

2011
2021
White British share of usual residents, A to Z. Census counts. Source: ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW and Census 2021 table TS021. 2011 figure summed from the 2011 districts now in the council: North Yorkshire.
Council20112021Change
Barnsley96.1%92.6%−3.5 pts
Bassetlaw94.5%92.0%−2.5 pts
Doncaster91.8%86.6%−5.2 pts
East Riding of Yorkshire96.2%94.6%−1.5 pts
North Lincolnshire92.3%88.7%−3.6 pts
North Yorkshire94.4%93.3%−1.2 pts
Rotherham91.9%88.3%−3.7 pts
Wakefield92.8%88.2%−4.6 pts
All six groups, 2011 and 2021
Share of usual residents in each ethnic group, A to Z. Source: ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW and Census 2021 table TS021.
CouncilCensusWhite BritishWhite OtherAsianBlackMixedOther
Barnsley201196.1%1.8%0.7%0.5%0.7%0.2%
Barnsley202192.6%4.3%0.9%0.7%0.9%0.6%
Bassetlaw201194.5%2.9%1.1%0.5%0.9%0.2%
Bassetlaw202192.0%4.5%1.2%0.6%1.2%0.5%
Doncaster201191.8%3.4%2.5%0.8%1.1%0.3%
Doncaster202186.6%6.5%3.0%1.2%1.5%1.2%
East Riding of Yorkshire201196.2%1.9%0.9%0.2%0.7%0.2%
East Riding of Yorkshire202194.6%2.7%1.1%0.3%0.9%0.4%
North Lincolnshire201192.3%3.7%2.7%0.3%0.7%0.3%
North Lincolnshire202188.7%5.6%3.3%0.5%1.1%0.8%
North Yorkshire201194.4%2.9%1.2%0.4%0.8%0.2%
North Yorkshire202193.3%3.4%1.4%0.4%1.1%0.5%
Rotherham201191.9%1.7%4.1%0.8%1.0%0.5%
Rotherham202188.3%2.8%5.3%1.1%1.5%1.1%
Wakefield201192.8%2.6%2.6%0.8%0.9%0.3%
Wakefield202188.2%4.8%3.6%1.3%1.4%0.7%

Ethnic composition trajectory

Solid to 2021 is Census. Dashed after that is the model, which was scored against Census 2021 before publication: a mean absolute error of 1.56 percentage points on that one-decade forecast and a bias of +0.05 points, close to unbiased. The shaded band is the 80% interval for White British share.

Ethnic composition, Doncaster

0 24 48 73 97 % Census 2021 Illustrative White British 53% White Other 20% Asian 5% Black 4% Mixed 8% Other 11% 20112021203120412051
White British White Other Asian Black Mixed Other 80% interval

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Ethnic composition, Doncaster
Year White BritishWhite OtherAsianBlackMixedOther
2011 91.8%3.4%2.5%0.8%1.1%0.3%
2021 86.6%6.5%3.0%1.2%1.5%1.2%
2031 modelled 81.1%9.4%3.6%1.6%2.2%2.2%
2041 modelled 73.5%13.0%4.2%2.2%3.3%3.9%
2051 modelled 64.0%16.7%4.8%2.8%5.0%6.7%
2061 modelled 53.4%19.7%5.2%3.6%7.5%10.7%
Source: Census 2011 and Census 2021 (ONS) observed; 2031 onward projected by the Hamilton-Perry model. See /methodology/ for the known limitations.

Ethnic composition: Doncaster

Census 2011, Census 2021, then Hamilton-Perry projections to 2051. Percentages.

2011
92%
2021
87%
2031 proj
81%
9%
2041 proj
73%
13%
2051 proj
64%
17%
2061 proj
53%
20%
11%
White British White Other Asian Black Mixed Other

Two-model comparison: White British, 2051

±5.8pp spread
Hamilton-Perry (HP) central 64.0% Cohort change ratios from Census 2011 to 2021. Demographic momentum only, no fertility convergence.
Cohort-component 69.8% Births by ethnicity-specific total fertility rate (TFR) with half-convergence to the national mean by 2061. Slower change.

Two independent models trained on the same Census base disagree by 5.8pp on White British share in Doncaster by 2051. HP captures observed 2011 to 2021 cohort dynamics. The cohort-component model adds explicit fertility assumptions that pull projections toward the national mean. The chart above shows HP. See the methodology for why both numbers are published.

Scenario explorer

Under different assumptions, White British share in Doncaster ranges from 64.6% to 75.1% by 2051: a 10.6pp spread.

Fertility
Low ~108k/yr
Principal ~315k/yr
High ~476k/yr
Constant Rates stay at current levels
Half convergence Move halfway to national avg
Full convergence Converge to national avg
Migration
Central scenario: WBI 68.9% by 2051

What’s driving change

Shift-share splits the change in White British share into national trend, age structure, and local factors. Dominant driver: national trend.

Why Doncaster is changing

-5.2pp
National trend
-6.2pp
Age structure
-0.9pp
Local migration
+1.9pp

White British change 2011-2021. Cyan = decline. Amber = growth.

Diversity index

moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.32 · Dissimilarity: 12.2

Religion

Census 2021 religious composition with projections to 2051.

Religious composition trajectory

6 27 47 68 88 % Census 2021 Christian 11% No religion 83% 2021203120412051
Christian No religion

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Religious composition trajectory
Year ChristianNo religion
2021 53.8%42.0%
2031 modelled 35.7%59.2%
2041 modelled 21.0%73.6%
2051 modelled 11.2%83.3%
Source: Census 2021 (ONS) observed; later years projected from the Hamilton-Perry ethnic projection.

Country of birth

UK-born vs foreign-born share, with projection to 2051.

Nativity trajectory

5 28 50 72 95 % Census 2021 UK-born 65% Foreign-born 35% 2021203120412051
UK-born Foreign-born

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Nativity trajectory
Year UK-bornForeign-born
2021 89.6%10.4%
2031 modelled 83.8%16.2%
2041 modelled 75.6%24.4%
2051 modelled 65.0%35.0%
Source: Census 2021 country of birth (ONS) observed; later years projected from the Hamilton-Perry ethnic projection.

English proficiency

Census 2021

Main language English92.8%
Main language not English7.2%
Cannot speak English well1.4%
Cannot speak English at all0.2%
Total population 3+297,971

ONS Census 2021 (TS029) via NOMIS. Reference date 21 March 2021.

Data flag 7.2% of residents aged 3 and over have a main language other than English (Census 2021, TS029), below the 15% line this site uses to flag language demand. A threshold on one Census variable, not a service-planning assessment. This site publishes no projection of language: it models ethnic group, and ethnic composition change is not a measure of language change.

Demographic change and service exposure

A composite score from five capped components. It measures exposure to demographic change, not service cost or capacity, and it has not been validated against observed service demand. See how the score is built.

60/100 Moderate exposure Rank 89 of 318
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum10/20
School10/20
Language7/20
Housing12/20

New arrivals (NINo registrations)

Adults from overseas registering for a National Insurance number, rolling year ending Oct-25 to Dec-25. Doncaster ranks at the 69th percentile nationally for total NINo registrations.

Registrations (rolling year)1,265
Year-on-year +0.6%
NationalityRegistrationsShare
Nigeria 259 20.5%
India 128 10.1%
Pakistan 112 8.9%
Nepal 102 8.1%
Eritrea 97 7.7%
Romania 64 5.1%
Iraq 62 4.9%
Sudan 61 4.8%
Iran 43 3.4%
Afghanistan 42 3.3%

DWP National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals (Stat-Xplore NINO database), rolling year ending Q4 2025.. NINo registrations measure new arrivals into the National Insurance system, not total foreign-born population. A NINo is allocated when an overseas national requests one, usually to start work or claim benefits, so the figure misses students and dependants who never enter the labour market. Small (LA × nationality) cells are suppressed by Stat-Xplore for disclosure control.

Arrivals over the last 24 years

Annual NINo registrations to adults from overseas in Doncaster from 2002 to 2025, alongside the UK total for context. The peak year was 2016 (3,405 registrations). Total over the full period: 43,075 registrations.

08511,7032,5543,405 0k268k537k805k1073k 200220052010201520202025 peak 2016 (3,405) low 2002 (480) Doncaster (annual) UK (annual)

DWP Stat-Xplore, NINO Registrations to Adult Overseas Nationals Entering the UK (Ninos cube), aggregated per calendar year by summing the four constituent quarters. Geography: ONS LA codes. Counts are NEW NINo registrations per calendar year. A NINo is issued once per person at the point of first work or claim, so this is a flow measure, not a stock. People who arrive but never register (some students, dependants, retirees) are excluded. Late registrations show in a later year than the year of arrival. Pre-2010 figures used a different administrative system; series is comparable but small methodological revisions to the early years are possible.

Who is arriving

Age and sex profile of 1,354 NINo registrations to adults from overseas in Doncaster in 2025. National comparison shown alongside.

Age at registration

Less than 18 7.3%
18-24 24.1%
25-29 27.3%
30-34 16.1%
35-39 11.4%
40-44 7.1%
45-49 3.7%
50-54 0.9%
60 or over 2.1%

Doncaster   UK marker

Sex

Male 57.1% Female 42.9%

Male share is 2.7pp higher than the UK average (54.4%).

DWP Stat-Xplore Ninos cube, LA × Age band × Sex, rolling year ending Q4 2025 (January 2025 to December 2025). Counts are NEW NINo registrations to adult overseas nationals. Age is age at NINo registration, not age at arrival. The registration may follow arrival by months. 'Less than 18' is rare in this dataset because the published Ninos series is filtered to adult overseas nationals; values reflect young workers/claimants close to 18. 'Unknown' age is a small residual.

Why people are coming

For each of the top arriving nationalities in Doncaster, this is the national mix of visa routes used in 2025. It shows whether arrivals from that country are typically students, workers, on family routes (including refugee family reunion), or in some other category. Local-authority breakdowns of visa routes are not published, so we apply the national mix at nationality level.

Nigeria 259 in Doncaster (20.5%)
Mostly students UK total 45,877 NINos · 51,546 non-visitor visas issued 2025
India 128 in Doncaster (10.1%)
Mostly students UK total 129,772 NINos · 158,598 non-visitor visas issued 2025
Pakistan 112 in Doncaster (8.9%)
Predominantly students UK total 56,201 NINos · 57,753 non-visitor visas issued 2025
Nepal 102 in Doncaster (8.1%)
Mostly students UK total 25,087 NINos · 26,792 non-visitor visas issued 2025
Eritrea 97 in Doncaster (7.7%)
Mostly family-route arrivals (often refugee family reunion) UK total 9,289 NINos · 1,992 non-visitor visas issued 2025

Home Office, Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026; Vis_D02 (Entry clearance visa outcomes by nationality, visa type, and outcome). Joined with DWP Stat-Xplore NINo registrations rolling year ending Q4 2025. Visa grants are issued at the point of entry-clearance application and are NOT the same population as NINo registrations. Visitor visas (2.24 million in 2025) do not lead to NINo and are excluded from the route-mix percentages so the Work / Study / Family / Other proportions are interpretable. Humanitarian routes (BN(O), Ukraine schemes, Resettlement, Asylum) are surfaced as national totals only because the same nationality split is not provided in this dataset. EU/EEA nationals largely fall outside entry-clearance for short stays, so their NINo flow is materially understated by visa data alone.

How Doncaster changed: 2011 to 2021

Two snapshots from two consecutive Censuses, ten years apart. Population changed from 302,402 in 2011 to 308,103 in 2021 (+1.9%). Non-UK-born residents went from 18,669 (6.2% of population) to 32,116 (10.4%).

Group 2011 2021 Change
UK-born 283,733 93.8% 275,987 89.6% -7,746
Ireland-born 963 0.3% 707 0.2% -256
EU pre-2001 (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) 2,134 0.7% 2,499 0.8% +365
EU 2001-2011 accession (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.) 6,646 2.2% 17,202 5.6% +10,556
Rest of World 8,926 3% 11,708 3.8% +2,782

Source: ONS Census 2011 KS204EW (NOMIS NM_611_1) and Census 2021 TS012 (NOMIS NM_2032_1), aligned to broad country-of-birth groups. 2011 data uses 2011 LA boundaries; 2021 data uses 2023 boundaries. LAs whose ONS code changed between Censuses (Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Somerset reorganisations) are not in this comparison.

Working and not working, by passport group

Census 2021 employment status of Doncaster residents aged 16 and over, by passport held. Three numbers shown per group:

  • The first three columns sum to 100% for each row. Every adult is either in work, unemployed, or inactive.
  • In work: share of all adults aged 16+ who have a paid job.
  • Unemployed: share of all adults aged 16+ who are looking for work but do not have a job.
  • Inactive: share of all adults aged 16+ who are not in the labour market. Includes retirees, full-time students, those looking after family, the long-term sick.
  • Employment rate (last column): share of those who are trying to work (excluding full-time students) who have a job. Almost always higher than In Work because it leaves out everyone who is retired, raising kids, or in full-time study.
Passport group Pop 16+ In work Unemployed Inactive Employment rate
UK passport 190,987 58.8% 2.9% 38.3% 95.7%
Irish passport 600 46.8% 1.7% 51.5% 96.9%
EU member country passport 15,531 78.3% 4.6% 17.1% 94.9%
Rest of Europe (non-EU) 412 57.5% 5.1% 37.4% 92.1%
African passport 733 66.3% 5.9% 27.8% 92.8%
Middle East / Asian passport 1,539 52.9% 3.8% 43.3% 94.0%
Americas / Caribbean passport 313 59.4% 4.5% 36.1% 93.8%
Oceania / Antarctica passport 67 65.7% 6.0% 28.4% 91.7%
No passport held 40,741 27.9% 4.8% 67.4% 86.0%

ONS Census 2021 RM021, Economic activity status by passports held, by local authority district. NOMIS NM_2121_1. Stock measure on Census Day (21 March 2021). Passports-held is a proxy for nationality (UK = UK passport holder). Employment rate excludes full-time students from the denominator (the standard ONS definition). The 'inactive' category includes retirees, full-time students who do not work, those looking after family, long-term sick, and other reasons.

Schools, first language

Across 136 state-funded schools in Doncaster (49,424 pupils, 2025/26), 15.5% have a first language other than English.

Pupils with first language other than English7,509 (15.5%)
Pupils with first language English40,681 (84.2%)
Free school meals33.2%

Source: DfE Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics 2025/26, school-level data aggregated to district. EAL (English as Additional Language) is a household-level signal: children born in the UK to non-English-speaking households count as EAL.

Crime

Police-recorded crime rates per 1,000 population, Year ending March 2026, ONS. Doncaster ranks at the 94th percentile nationally for total crime rate.

Total crime / 1k116.1
Violent crime / 1k43.1
Theft / 1k35.2
Drug offences / 1k4.3
Year-on-year -2.8%

Police force: South Yorkshire. It could not place 1.2% of the offences it recorded in this period in any area, and those offences are in no area's figure.

ONS, Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables, year ending March 2026 (released 23 July 2026), Tables C1, C2 and C5, police recorded crime from the Home Office; rates per 1,000 residents on ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Police recorded crime is shaped by recording practice, reporting rates and policing priority, and city centre rates are inflated by small resident populations. Offences a force could not place in any area are left out of area figures; each area shows its force's unassigned share.

Adult social care

Council spending on adult social care (2024-25) and residential care for people aged 65 and over (2024-25), against each age group's population in the ONS mid-2025 estimates. Spend per adult ranks at the 73rd percentile nationally.

Gross spend per adult (18+), 2024-25£688
Aged 65+ in residential care per 10,000 aged 65+, 2024-25171

Department of Health and Social Care, Adult social care finance report, England: 2024 to 2025, Table 14; Department of Health and Social Care, Adult social care activity report, England: 2024 to 2025, Table 34; Office for National Statistics, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, for the per-head rates. Adult social care is run by upper tier councils (counties, unitaries, metropolitan districts and London boroughs), so a district shows its county's figures. Spend reflects age structure, deprivation and unpaid care, so differences between councils are not a measure of efficiency. Activity figures are official statistics in development.

Department of Health and Social Care change note on the activity report, 7 October 2026: “Added notice of planned corrections to the 2024 to 2025 activity report, affecting data submitted by some local authorities. Updated figures will be published alongside the 2025 to 2026 activity report.”

Health by ethnic group

Share reporting "not good health" in each of Doncaster's largest ethnic groups, Census 2021.

White 22.2%
White: English 23.0%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller 10.2%

ONS Census 2021 (RM043 - General health by ethnic group by age) via NOMIS. All ages, no age-standardisation: younger ethnic-group populations will show lower rates partly because they're younger, not necessarily because they're healthier. Group labels shortened for display.

Special educational needs

EHCPs and primary need breakdown, 2025/26 academic year. 5-year EHCP growth ranks at the 44th percentile nationally.

Pupils with an EHC plan, % of pupils4.6%
Pupils with an EHC plan2,282
Autism, share of EHC plans33.0%
5-yr growth +59.4%
Autistic spectrum disorder 33.0%
Speech, language and communications needs 29.6%
Social, emotional and mental health 13.3%
Moderate learning difficulty 6.5%
Physical disability 5.3%
Severe learning difficulty 3.0%

DfE, Special educational needs in England, academic year 2025/26, published 11 June 2026, Explore Education Statistics: pupils in all schools by type of SEN provision, and pupils with an EHC plan by primary type of need. SEND is run by upper-tier councils, so district pages show their county. Figures count pupils on the January school census who have an EHC plan; plans held by children under school age, young people in further education and those not in school are not included. The autism figure is the share of pupils with an EHC plan whose primary need is autism, not a prevalence in the population. Rising numbers may reflect identification, diagnosis and parental awareness as well as need.

How NHS care for overseas residents is funded (national context)

Most non-UK residents in Doncaster pay for NHS care up-front through the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is added to most visa applications. Asylum seekers, refugees, ILR holders and Irish citizens are exempt. Visitors and undocumented residents are charged at 150% of the national NHS tariff. The figures below are England + Wales national totals; per-LA NHS cost-recovery is not centrally published.

Current IHS rate (adult, per year) £1,035
IHS rate, students/under-18s (per year) £776
IHS revenue 2024/25 (£m) £1,315.6m
Cumulative IHS revenue 2015-2024 £6.9bn
IHS rate history
  • From 2015-04-06: £200/year adult, £150/year students/under-18s
  • From 2019-01-08: £400/year adult, £300/year students/under-18s
  • From 2020-10-27: £624/year adult, £470/year students/under-18s
  • From 2024-02-06: £1035/year adult, £776/year students/under-18s
Indicative charges for visitors and undocumented residents

Maternity care is classified as "immediately necessary": it cannot be refused or delayed for charging, but it is invoiced afterwards at 150% of the NHS national tariff.

  • Routine vaginal delivery, no complications: £3,000-£5,500
  • Caesarean section: £5,000-£7,500
  • Premature birth with NICU stay: £15,000-£30,000+
  • Antenatal appointment: £150-£400 each

Sources: NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 (as amended); Home Office IHS caseworker guidance (Sept 2025); House of Commons Library briefing CBP-7274; NHS England NHS Payment Scheme (national tariff). Approximately 80% of identified overseas-visitor debt across all NHS treatment is uncollected (NAO, follow-up scrutiny).

Economic profile

Avg employment rate55.9%
Avg home ownership60.2%
Avg social rent16.3%
Degree or above21.8%
No qualifications23.6%

Housing

Composition today

How dwellings in Doncaster are occupied. Single-person households and houses in multiple occupation are the two cleanest signals.

Single-person discount take-up34.1%
Dwellings on 25% single-person discount48,701
HMO dwellings (Census 2021)178
HMOs per 1,000 population0.58

Sources: MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025 (CTB, snapshot 6 October 2025) for single-person discount; ONS Census 2021 RM192 for HMO dwellings. HMO Census numbers reflect dwellings classified as HMO on Census Day; current licensing registers held by individual councils are not centrally published.

Tenure by ethnic group

Household ownership rates for Doncaster's largest ethnic groups, Census 2021.

White: owned 64.0%
White: English: owned 66.2%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller: owned 29.7%

ONS Census 2021 (RM134 - Tenure by ethnic group, Household Reference Persons) via NOMIS. Group labels shortened for display.

Tenure projection

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

Ownership (2021)60.2%
Social rent (2021)16.3%
Private rent (2021)19.3%
Ownership (2041)55.3%
Social rent (2041)15.8%
Social rent change-0.5pp

Data flag The foreign-born share is projected to rise by 24.6pp between 2021 and 2051 (Census 2021 TS004 country of birth, projected by the Hamilton-Perry method), above the 15pp line this site uses to flag housing demand. A threshold on one projected variable, not a housing-need assessment.

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 47,978 pupils.

White British pupils76.4%
Minority pupils23.6%
EAL growth (projected)+10.2pp
White British gap (school vs population)10.2pp

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

Westminster constituencies

Parliamentary constituencies overlapping Doncaster, largest first by the share of each constituency's postcodes that fall in Doncaster.

Updated 14 Aug 2026 · Census 2021, ONS SNPP, DfE School Census