Isle of Wight
South East · England 140,459 Population (2021 Census)
93.8% White British (2021)
91.5% White British (2041 projected)
90.1% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 93.8%
white other 3.2%
asian 1.2%
black 0.3%
mixed 1.2%
other 0.3%
Projected 2051
white british 90.1%
white other 6.4%
asian 1.2%
black 0.4%
mixed 1.7%
other 0.3%
Diversity index
low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.17 · Dissimilarity: 19.3
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) 93.9%
Foreign-born (2021) 6.1%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 23.2%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 98.1%
notEnglishPct 3.7%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change3/20
Asylum0/20
School5/20
Language0/20
Housing9/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate50.6%
Avg home ownership67.3%
Avg social rent10.7%
Degree or above27%
No qualifications18.1%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)67.3%
Social rent (2021)10.7%
Private rent (2021)20.4%
Ownership (2041)67%
Social rent (2041)10.6%
Social rent change-0.1pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 15,949 pupils.
WBI pupils88.5%
Minority pupils11.5%
EAL growth (projected)+5.3pp
WBI gap (school vs population)5.3pp
Schools are 5pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 98.1%
notEnglishPct 3.7%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+2.2pp
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 Isle of Wight on Asylum Stats →