Tunbridge Wells

South East · England
-18.2pp WBI 84.2% → 66.0% by 2051 (20-group HP, Census-direct, SNPP-constrained)
115,314 Population (2021 Census)
84.2% White British (2021)
73.5% White British (2041 projected)
66.0% White British (2051 projected)

Ethnic composition

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

white british 84.2%
white other 7.4%
asian 4.0%
black 1.0%
mixed 2.5%
other 1.0%

Projected 2051

white british 66.0%
white other 14.9%
asian 9.0%
black 1.3%
mixed 7.6%
other 1.1%

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
-0.8pp Structural effect
+1.7pp Local effect

Diversity index

moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.36 · Dissimilarity: 10.7

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) 86.5%
Foreign-born (2021) 13.5%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 55.6%

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.7%
notEnglishPct 10.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%

Service demand pressure

36/100 Low Pressure Rank 171 of 320
Ethnic change16/20
Asylum0/20
School0/20
Language0/20
Housing20/20

Economic profile

Avg employment rate60%
Avg home ownership62.7%
Avg social rent13.8%
Degree or above39.2%
No qualifications12.8%

Housing demand projection

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

Ownership (2021)62.7%
Social rent (2021)13.8%
Private rent (2021)18.6%
Ownership (2041)59.3%
Social rent (2041)13%
Social rent change-0.8pp

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

English proficiency

mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.7%
notEnglishPct 10.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+10.7pp

Interpreter demand is manageable at current levels.

Updated 14 Apr 2026 · Census 2021, ONS SNPP, DfE School Census