West Berkshire
South East · England 161,447 Population (2021 Census)
85.6% White British (2021)
76.4% White British (2041 projected)
69.8% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 85.6%
white other 6.3%
asian 3.7%
black 1.3%
mixed 2.4%
other 0.7%
Projected 2051
white british 69.8%
white other 12.8%
asian 9.2%
black 1.7%
mixed 5.6%
other 0.9%
Diversity index
moderately diverse Shannon entropy: 0.34 · Dissimilarity: 11.9
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) 88.0%
Foreign-born (2021) 12.0%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 52.3%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.2%
notEnglishPct 9.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change14/20
Asylum1/20
School9/20
Language0/20
Housing20/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate62.2%
Avg home ownership65.1%
Avg social rent13.2%
Degree or above35.2%
No qualifications13.4%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)65.1%
Social rent (2021)13.2%
Private rent (2021)16.6%
Ownership (2041)61.7%
Social rent (2041)12.6%
Social rent change-0.7pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 26,360 pupils.
WBI pupils76.3%
Minority pupils23.7%
EAL growth (projected)+9.3pp
WBI gap (school vs population)9.3pp
Schools are 9pp more diverse than the general population — schools show the future.
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 95.2%
notEnglishPct 9.6%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+9.2pp
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 West Berkshire on Asylum Stats →