Plymouth
South West · England 264,695 Population (2021 Census)
89.5% White British (2021)
80.8% White British (2041 projected)
74.9% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 89.5%
white other 4.5%
asian 2.2%
black 1.1%
mixed 1.8%
other 1.0%
Projected 2051
white british 74.9%
white other 10.6%
asian 4.2%
black 3.2%
mixed 4.8%
other 2.3%
Diversity index
low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.27 · Dissimilarity: 15.1
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) 90.8%
Foreign-born (2021) 9.2%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 31.9%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.5%
notEnglishPct 9.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change13/20
Asylum9/20
School7/20
Language0/20
Housing11/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate56.7%
Avg home ownership56.6%
Avg social rent17.8%
Degree or above26.6%
No qualifications16.7%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)56.6%
Social rent (2021)17.8%
Private rent (2021)22.3%
Ownership (2041)53.8%
Social rent (2041)17.2%
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. 38,232 pupils.
WBI pupils82.2%
Minority pupils17.8%
EAL growth (projected)+7.3pp
WBI gap (school vs population)7.3pp
Schools are 7pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.5%
notEnglishPct 9.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+8.7pp
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 Plymouth on Asylum Stats →