Manchester
North West · England 551,938 Population (2021 Census)
48.7% White British (2021)
26.2% White British (2041 projected)
16.9% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 48.7%
white other 8.2%
asian 20.9%
black 11.9%
mixed 5.3%
other 5.1%
Projected 2051
white british 16.9%
white other 7.0%
asian 26.4%
black 23.5%
mixed 5.4%
other 20.8%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.81 · Dissimilarity: 25.8
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 41.9% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 68.6%
Foreign-born (2021) 31.4%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 67.9%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 81.7%
notEnglishPct 36.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum16/20
School19/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate39.9%
Avg home ownership24.5%
Avg social rent19.7%
Degree or above25.6%
No qualifications13%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)24.5%
Social rent (2021)19.7%
Private rent (2021)23%
Ownership (2041)17.2%
Social rent (2041)15.5%
Social rent change-4.3pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 91,885 pupils.
WBI pupils29.8%
Minority pupils70.2%
EAL growth (projected)+18.9pp
WBI gap (school vs population)18.9pp
Schools are 19pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 81.7%
notEnglishPct 36.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+22.5pp
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 Manchester on Asylum Stats →