Lewes

South East · England
-8.9pp WBI 88.9% → 80.0% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
99,909 Population (2021 Census)
88.9% White British (2021)
83.8% White British (2041 projected)
80.0% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

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

white british 88.9%
white other 5.3%
asian 1.9%
black 0.7%
mixed 2.5%
other 0.7%

Projected 2051

white british 80.0%
white other 10.2%
asian 1.9%
black 0.9%
mixed 6.1%
other 0.8%

What's driving change?

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

-3.6pp Total WBI change
-6.4pp National effect
-1.0pp Structural effect
+3.8pp Local effect

Diversity index

low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.28 · Dissimilarity: 15.3

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) 91.1%
Foreign-born (2021) 8.9%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 43.7%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 97.1%
notEnglishPct 5.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

25/100 Low Pressure Rank 252 of 320
Ethnic change8/20
Asylum0/20
School0/20
Language0/20
Housing17/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate54.9%
Avg home ownership70%
Avg social rent10.6%
Degree or above34%
No qualifications15.6%

Housing demand projection

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

Ownership (2021)70%
Social rent (2021)10.6%
Private rent (2021)16.7%
Ownership (2041)69.4%
Social rent (2041)10.5%
Social rent change-0.1pp

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

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 97.1%
notEnglishPct 5.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+5.1pp

Interpreter demand is manageable at current levels.

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