Sunderland
North East · England 274,173 Population (2021 Census)
92.9% White British (2021)
86.4% White British (2041 projected)
80.5% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 92.9%
white other 1.7%
asian 3.0%
black 1.0%
mixed 0.9%
other 0.5%
Projected 2051
white british 80.5%
white other 4.9%
asian 5.3%
black 6.0%
mixed 2.6%
other 0.6%
Diversity index
low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.20 · Dissimilarity: 18.4
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) 94.9%
Foreign-born (2021) 5.1%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 19.9%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 97.4%
notEnglishPct 5.2%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change10/20
Asylum14/20
School9/20
Language0/20
Housing7/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate53.5%
Avg home ownership56.1%
Avg social rent25.5%
Degree or above23.7%
No qualifications21.9%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)56.1%
Social rent (2021)25.5%
Private rent (2021)14.4%
Ownership (2041)53.5%
Social rent (2041)24.4%
Social rent change-1.2pp
Housing demand growth from demographic change is moderate.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 41,568 pupils.
WBI pupils84.3%
Minority pupils15.7%
EAL growth (projected)+8.6pp
WBI gap (school vs population)8.6pp
Schools are 9pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 97.4%
notEnglishPct 5.2%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+6.5pp
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 Sunderland on Asylum Stats →