Luton
East of England · England 225,261 Population (2021 Census)
31.8% White British (2021)
11.0% White British (2041 projected)
4.8% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 31.8%
white other 13.4%
asian 37.0%
black 10.1%
mixed 4.3%
other 3.5%
Projected 2051
white british 4.8%
white other 16.7%
asian 29.3%
black 5.1%
mixed 3.1%
other 41.1%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.83 · Dissimilarity: 42.7
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 62.8% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 61.6%
Foreign-born (2021) 38.4%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 74.3%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 76.9%
notEnglishPct 46.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum15/20
School17/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate34.2%
Avg home ownership26.6%
Avg social rent8.5%
Degree or above15.8%
No qualifications12.2%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)26.6%
Social rent (2021)8.5%
Private rent (2021)17.8%
Ownership (2041)23.1%
Social rent (2041)7.1%
Social rent change-1.4pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 40,831 pupils.
WBI pupils14.6%
Minority pupils85.4%
EAL growth (projected)+17.2pp
WBI gap (school vs population)17.2pp
Schools are 17pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 76.9%
notEnglishPct 46.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+20.7pp
NHS and council services will need increased interpreter/translation provision.
Asylum and immigration data
Asylum seekers on support, hotel costs, grant rates, and the True Cost of Asylum for this area.
View Luton on Asylum Stats →