UK Demographics Population data for every community

Rochdale

North West · England
-40.1pp WBI 70.0% → 29.9% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
223,771 Population (2021 Census)
70.0% White British (2021)
45.9% White British (2041 projected)
29.9% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.

white british 70.0%
white other 3.9%
asian 18.5%
black 3.5%
mixed 2.4%
other 1.6%

Projected 2051

white british 29.9%
white other 7.0%
asian 20.3%
black 34.5%
mixed 3.8%
other 4.6%

What's driving change?

Shift-share decomposes demographic change into national trend, structural composition, and local factors. Dominant driver: national trend.

-8.6pp Total WBI change
-6.4pp National effect
+0.1pp Structural effect
-2.3pp Local effect

Diversity index

diverse Shannon entropy: 0.54 · Dissimilarity: 10.0

Religion

Census 2021 religious composition with projections.

2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]

Muslim population projected: 27.2% by 2051

Country of birth

UK-born (2021) 84.5%
Foreign-born (2021) 15.5%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 45.9%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 90.5%
notEnglishPct 18.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

67/100 Moderate Pressure Rank 23 of 320
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum15/20
School17/20
Language0/20
Housing15/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate45.1%
Avg home ownership46.7%
Avg social rent16.5%
Degree or above20.7%
No qualifications18.1%

Housing demand projection

Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.

Ownership (2021)46.7%
Social rent (2021)16.5%
Private rent (2021)14.8%
Ownership (2041)34.2%
Social rent (2041)13.3%
Social rent change-3.2pp

High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 37,780 pupils.

WBI pupils53.1%
Minority pupils46.9%
EAL growth (projected)+16.9pp
WBI gap (school vs population)16.9pp

Schools are 17pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 90.5%
notEnglishPct 18.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+24.2pp

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 Rochdale on Asylum Stats →
Updated 14 Apr 2026 · Census 2021, ONS SNPP, DfE School Census