Wigan
North West · England 329,330 Population (2021 Census)
91.9% White British (2021)
80.7% White British (2041 projected)
70.4% White British (2051 projected)
Ethnic composition
Census 2021 observed data with Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061.
white british 91.9%
white other 3.2%
asian 1.8%
black 1.2%
mixed 1.3%
other 0.7%
Projected 2051
white british 70.4%
white other 14.4%
asian 3.3%
black 7.4%
mixed 3.3%
other 1.1%
Diversity index
low diversity Shannon entropy: 0.23 · Dissimilarity: 17.4
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) 93.8%
Foreign-born (2021) 6.2%
Foreign-born (2051 projected) 23.5%
English proficiency
mainLanguageEnglishPct 96.5%
notEnglishPct 7.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Service demand pressure
Ethnic change17/20
Asylum17/20
School9/20
Language0/20
Housing9/20
Economic profile
Avg employment rate58.9%
Avg home ownership64.7%
Avg social rent16.5%
Degree or above25.1%
No qualifications20.4%
Housing demand projection
Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.
Ownership (2021)64.7%
Social rent (2021)16.5%
Private rent (2021)15.9%
Ownership (2041)60.3%
Social rent (2041)16%
Social rent change-0.5pp
High foreign-born population growth will drive additional housing demand, particularly in the private rented sector.
School demographics
DfE School Census 2024/25. 48,339 pupils.
WBI pupils82.6%
Minority pupils17.4%
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 96.5%
notEnglishPct 7.0%
cannotSpeakEnglishPct 0.0%
Projected non-English growth+11.1pp
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 Wigan on Asylum Stats →