Wakefield
Yorkshire and The Humber · England 353,370 Population (2021 Census)
88.2% White British (2021)
73.0% White British (2041 projected)
61.6% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 88.2%
white other 4.8%
asian 3.6%
black 1.3%
mixed 1.4%
other 0.7%
Projected 2051
white british 61.6%
white other 20.4%
asian 6.8%
black 5.4%
mixed 4.4%
other 1.5%
Diversity index
low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.29 · Dissimilarity: 13.7
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) 91.5%
Foreign-born (2021) 8.5%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 30.1%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.5%
notEnglishPct 11.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum10/20
School9/20
Language0/20
Housing11/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate57.4%
Avg home ownership60%
Avg social rent20.7%
Degree or above23.1%
No qualifications23.2%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)60%
Social rent (2021)20.7%
Private rent (2021)14.5%
Ownership (2041)54.1%
Social rent (2041)20.2%
Social rent change-0.4pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 54,403 pupils.
WBI pupils79.5%
Minority pupils20.5%
EAL growth (projected)+8.7pp
WBI gap (school vs population)8.7pp
Schools are 9pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 94.5%
notEnglishPct 11.1%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+15.2pp
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 Wakefield on Asylum Stats →