Merton
London · England 215,187 Population (2021 Census)
41.2% White British (2021)
23.3% White British (2041 projected)
13.6% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 41.2%
white other 19.0%
asian 18.6%
black 10.6%
mixed 5.9%
other 4.6%
Projected 2051
white british 13.6%
white other 14.2%
asian 11.4%
black 5.8%
mixed 7.4%
other 47.6%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.86 · Dissimilarity: 33.3
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 15.3% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 59.1%
Foreign-born (2021) 40.9%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 76.2%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 78.5%
notEnglishPct 42.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum7/20
School13/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate49.6%
Avg home ownership38.4%
Avg social rent9.5%
Degree or above35.4%
No qualifications10%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)38.4%
Social rent (2021)9.5%
Private rent (2021)22.9%
Ownership (2041)37.7%
Social rent (2041)10.1%
Social rent change+0.6pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 27,217 pupils.
WBI pupils28.5%
Minority pupils71.5%
EAL growth (projected)+12.7pp
WBI gap (school vs population)12.7pp
Schools are 13pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 78.5%
notEnglishPct 42.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+17.9pp
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 Merton on Asylum Stats →