Portsmouth
South East · England 208,001 Population (2021 Census)
77.7% White British (2021)
58.0% White British (2041 projected)
45.5% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 77.7%
white other 7.5%
asian 6.9%
black 3.4%
mixed 2.6%
other 1.8%
Projected 2051
white british 45.5%
white other 22.1%
asian 8.9%
black 8.8%
mixed 4.3%
other 10.4%
Diversity index
moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.48 · Dissimilarity: 4.5
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) 83.1%
Foreign-born (2021) 16.9%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 48.6%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 90.8%
notEnglishPct 18.4%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum17/20
School12/20
Language0/20
Housing16/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate55.4%
Avg home ownership47%
Avg social rent16.1%
Degree or above27%
No qualifications15.6%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)47%
Social rent (2021)16.1%
Private rent (2021)26.6%
Ownership (2041)40.1%
Social rent (2041)14.9%
Social rent change-1.2pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 27,459 pupils.
WBI pupils66.1%
Minority pupils33.9%
EAL growth (projected)+11.6pp
WBI gap (school vs population)11.6pp
Schools are 12pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 90.8%
notEnglishPct 18.4%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+19.7pp
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 Portsmouth on Asylum Stats →