Leicester: Demographic Change Since 1951

Post-War Settlement and the East African Asian Arrivals

Leicester's demographic transformation began in the 1950s and 1960s with the arrival of South Asian workers from India and Pakistan, drawn by employment opportunities in the city's textile, hosiery, and footwear industries. The pace of change accelerated significantly in the early 1970s following Idi Amin's expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1972. Despite a widely-publicised newspaper advertisement by Leicester City Council discouraging settlement in the city, citing pressure on housing and services, a substantial number of the approximately 27,000 Ugandan Asian arrivals to the UK settled in Leicester, joining an existing South Asian community.

The Ugandan Asian community brought professional and commercial skills that contributed to significant economic activity in the city. By the time of the 1991 Census, Leicester's non-white population was already substantial — estimated at approximately 28%† of the city total, among the highest proportions of any English city outside London.

2001–2011: Crossing the 50% Threshold

The 2001 Census recorded an estimated White British share of approximately 60.5%† in Leicester — already substantially below the national average of 87.5%. Over the following decade, continued immigration from South Asia and East Africa, alongside EU enlargement arrivals and differential birth rates, further reduced the White British share. By the 2011 Census, the White British population of Leicester is estimated at approximately 45.1%†, placing it firmly below the 50% threshold. Leicester is therefore estimated to have become majority non-White British during the 2000s, possibly before the 2011 Census was conducted.

The city's South Asian community encompasses multiple distinct groups with deep roots in Leicester: Hindus and Muslims of Indian heritage, Gujarati-speaking communities of East African Asian origin, and Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities concentrated in different parts of the city.

2021 Census: Continued Diversification

The 2021 Census is estimated to show Leicester's White British population at approximately 39.3%† — a further decline of approximately 5.8 percentage points† from 2011. The Asian/Asian British group is estimated at approximately 37%†, making it the largest single ethnic group in the city by some margin on these estimates. Leicester's total population is estimated at approximately 368,600†.

Leicester is a considerably smaller city than Birmingham, but its ethnic composition statistics place it among the most diverse cities in England and Wales relative to its size. All group percentages for Leicester in 2021 are estimates pending independent verification against the ONS Nomis TS021 dataset.

A City of Multiple Long-Established Communities

Leicester's demographic character reflects the depth and diversity of its settlement history. Unlike some cities where diversity is more recent, Leicester's South Asian communities have been present for over 60 years and have developed well-established commercial, religious, and cultural infrastructure. The Golden Mile on Belgrave Road — a centre of Gujarati Hindu commercial life — is among the most prominent examples of established minority community presence in any English city. The city also has Caribbean, Somali, and other African communities with multi-generational roots in the area. This multi-layered settlement history shapes a demographic composition that differs in character from more recently diversified cities.

What percentage of Leicester is White British in 2021?

Based on 2021 Census estimates, approximately 39.3%† of Leicester's population identified as White British — down from approximately 45.1%† in 2011. Both figures are estimates and should be verified against ONS Nomis TS021 local authority data. Leicester has been majority non-White British since at least the 2011 Census.

What is the largest ethnic group in Leicester?

Based on 2021 Census estimates, the Asian/Asian British group is estimated at approximately 37%† of Leicester's population — comparable in size to the White British group (~39.3%†). Leicester's South Asian community — primarily of Indian, Pakistani, and East African Asian heritage — has been the largest non-White-British group in the city since the 1980s. All figures are estimates.

Why did so many Ugandan Asians settle in Leicester?

Following Idi Amin's expulsion of approximately 80,000 Ugandan Asians in 1972, around 27,000 came to the UK. Leicester already had an established South Asian community — primarily of Indian heritage — and offered employment opportunities in its textile and hosiery industries. Family and community networks drew many Ugandan Asians to join existing Leicester communities, despite a Leicester City Council advertisement in the Ugandan Argus discouraging settlement there.