Southwark
London · England 307,640 Population (2021 Census)
35.5% White British (2021)
24.9% White British (2041 projected)
18.6% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 35.5%
white other 15.9%
asian 9.9%
black 25.1%
mixed 7.2%
other 6.3%
Projected 2051
white british 18.6%
white other 11.0%
asian 8.9%
black 14.6%
mixed 10.3%
other 36.7%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.89 · Dissimilarity: 39.0
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 10.4% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 59.3%
Foreign-born (2021) 40.7%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 76.1%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 82.0%
notEnglishPct 36.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change16/20
Asylum8/20
School15/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate46.6%
Avg home ownership19.5%
Avg social rent24.4%
Degree or above35.6%
No qualifications8.9%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)19.5%
Social rent (2021)24.4%
Private rent (2021)21.1%
Ownership (2041)18.7%
Social rent (2041)27.2%
Social rent change+2.8pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 39,811 pupils.
WBI pupils20.5%
Minority pupils79.5%
EAL growth (projected)+15.0pp
WBI gap (school vs population)15.0pp
Schools are 15pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 82.0%
notEnglishPct 36.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+10.7pp
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 Southwark on Asylum Stats →