UK Demographics Population data for every community

Southend-on-Sea

East of England · England
-21.8pp WBI 81.6% → 59.8% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
180,685 Population (2021 Census)
81.6% White British (2021)
68.5% White British (2041 projected)
59.8% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

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

white british 81.6%
white other 5.9%
asian 5.5%
black 2.9%
mixed 3.1%
other 1.1%

Projected 2051

white british 59.8%
white other 9.2%
asian 15.1%
black 5.4%
mixed 8.1%
other 2.5%

What's driving change?

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

-5.4pp Total WBI change
-6.4pp National effect
-0.6pp Structural effect
+1.5pp Local effect

Diversity index

moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.42 · Dissimilarity: 8.5

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) 87.5%
Foreign-born (2021) 12.5%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 39.8%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.1%
notEnglishPct 11.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

59/100 Moderate Pressure Rank 49 of 320
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum7/20
School19/20
Language0/20
Housing14/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate55.6%
Avg home ownership56.4%
Avg social rent10.5%
Degree or above25.1%
No qualifications17.9%

Housing demand projection

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

Ownership (2021)56.4%
Social rent (2021)10.5%
Private rent (2021)24.7%
Ownership (2041)50.9%
Social rent (2041)9.7%
Social rent change-0.9pp

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

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 31,118 pupils.

WBI pupils62.9%
Minority pupils37.1%
EAL growth (projected)+18.7pp
WBI gap (school vs population)18.7pp

Schools are 19pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.1%
notEnglishPct 11.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+13.1pp

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