Waltham Forest
London · England 278,428 Population (2021 Census)
34.0% White British (2021)
27.8% White British (2041 projected)
24.4% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 34.0%
white other 18.8%
asian 19.9%
black 15.0%
mixed 6.5%
other 5.8%
Projected 2051
white british 24.4%
white other 19.0%
asian 15.0%
black 7.8%
mixed 11.4%
other 22.4%
Diversity index
highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.91 · Dissimilarity: 40.5
Religion
Census 2021 religious composition with projections.
2021 [object Object]
2031 [object Object]
2041 [object Object]
2051 [object Object]
Muslim population projected: 12.6% by 2051
Country of birth
UK-born (2021) 61.4%
Foreign-born (2021) 38.6%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 74.4%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 77.6%
notEnglishPct 44.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change9/20
Asylum3/20
School13/20
Language0/20
Housing18/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate45.5%
Avg home ownership30.5%
Avg social rent13.2%
Degree or above28.1%
No qualifications11.9%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)30.5%
Social rent (2021)13.2%
Private rent (2021)21.4%
Ownership (2041)32.2%
Social rent (2041)15.2%
Social rent change+1.9pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 41,064 pupils.
WBI pupils21.0%
Minority pupils79.0%
EAL growth (projected)+13.0pp
WBI gap (school vs population)13.0pp
Schools are 13pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 77.6%
notEnglishPct 44.8%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+6.3pp
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 Waltham Forest on Asylum Stats →