Medway
South East · England 279,773 Population (2021 Census)
78.3% White British (2021)
54.3% White British (2041 projected)
37.6% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 78.3%
white other 6.0%
asian 5.9%
black 5.6%
mixed 2.8%
other 1.4%
Projected 2051
white british 37.6%
white other 8.9%
asian 6.3%
black 31.9%
mixed 5.5%
other 9.8%
Diversity index
moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.47 · Dissimilarity: 5.3
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) 86.2%
Foreign-born (2021) 13.8%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 42.6%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 93.5%
notEnglishPct 13.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum4/20
School16/20
Language0/20
Housing14/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate55.9%
Avg home ownership58.1%
Avg social rent12%
Degree or above22.8%
No qualifications17.1%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)58.1%
Social rent (2021)12%
Private rent (2021)18.3%
Ownership (2041)46.7%
Social rent (2041)9.7%
Social rent change-2.3pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 50,337 pupils.
WBI pupils62.6%
Minority pupils37.4%
EAL growth (projected)+15.7pp
WBI gap (school vs population)15.7pp
Schools are 16pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 93.5%
notEnglishPct 13.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+24pp
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 Medway on Asylum Stats →