Sandwell
West Midlands · England 341,832 Population (2021 Census)
52.1% White British (2021)
22.7% White British (2041 projected)
11.3% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 52.1%
white other 5.2%
asian 25.8%
black 8.7%
mixed 4.3%
other 4.0%
Projected 2051
white british 11.3%
white other 4.5%
asian 24.8%
black 25.7%
mixed 4.5%
other 29.3%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.74 · Dissimilarity: 24.5
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 33.0% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 76.4%
Foreign-born (2021) 23.6%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 58.8%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 83.6%
notEnglishPct 32.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum20/20
School17/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate38.7%
Avg home ownership34.3%
Avg social rent17.5%
Degree or above15.2%
No qualifications18.6%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)34.3%
Social rent (2021)17.5%
Private rent (2021)13.7%
Ownership (2041)24.8%
Social rent (2041)12.8%
Social rent change-4.7pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 62,349 pupils.
WBI pupils35.2%
Minority pupils64.8%
EAL growth (projected)+16.8pp
WBI gap (school vs population)16.8pp
Schools are 17pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 83.6%
notEnglishPct 32.9%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+29.4pp
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 Sandwell on Asylum Stats →