London: Demographic Change Since 1951

A Historic Gateway City

London has historically been the primary point of entry for immigrants to the United Kingdom. Before the large-scale Commonwealth immigration of the post-war period, London already had established communities of Jewish, Irish, Chinese and other settlers, concentrated in areas such as the East End and Soho. The arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in June 1948 — carrying 492 passengers from the Caribbean — is conventionally taken as the starting point of large-scale non-white settlement in Britain, though London already had small non-white communities in Brixton, Notting Hill and Stepney before this date.

By the time of the first Census ethnic group question in 1991, London's White British share was already substantially lower than the England and Wales average of approximately 94%, with an estimated ~72%† of Greater London's population identifying as White British.

2001–2011: Crossing the 50% Threshold

The decade between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses saw the White British share of London's population fall from approximately 59.8%† to approximately 44.9%† — a decline of around 15 percentage points in ten years. This period coincided with the EU enlargement of 2004, which brought a large wave of Polish and other Central and Eastern European migrants to London, and with continued non-EU migration from South Asia, West Africa and the Middle East.

The crossing of the 50% threshold — the point at which White British residents became a numerical minority within their own capital city — likely occurred around 2007–2008, based on interpolation between the 2001 and 2011 Census figures. This made London one of the first major Western European capitals to record a majority non-native-ethnic population.

2011–2021: Continued Diversification

Between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, the White British share of London's population fell by a further estimated ~8.1 percentage points†, from ~44.9%† to ~36.8%†. The pace of change was somewhat slower in this decade than the 2001–2011 period, partly due to net outmigration of some European-born residents following the Brexit referendum in 2016. Total population grew from approximately 8.2 million to approximately 8.8 million† over the same period.

The 2021 figures show the Asian/Asian British group at approximately 20.7%† of London's population, the Other White group at approximately 14.9%† (reflecting London's large European-born community, including substantial French, Italian and Spanish populations), and the Black/African/Caribbean group at approximately 13.5%†.

London as the UK's Most Diverse Region

London consistently records the highest levels of ethnic diversity of any region in the United Kingdom. According to the 2021 Census, no single ethnic group constitutes a majority in Greater London, with the largest group — White British — accounting for approximately 36.8%† of the population. Inner London boroughs such as Tower Hamlets, Newham and Brent record even lower proportions of White British residents.

London's role as the UK's primary international gateway — hosting Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the principal rail terminus for international arrivals, and the majority of the UK's immigration processing infrastructure — means it continues to receive a disproportionately large share of newly arrived migrants relative to its population.

What percentage of London is White British in 2021?

According to the 2021 Census, approximately 36.8%† of Greater London's population identified as White British. This figure is an estimate and has not been independently verified against ONS Nomis local authority data. In 2011 the estimated figure was ~44.9%†, and in 2001 approximately ~59.8%†.

Is London majority non-White British?

Yes. Based on Census data, London's White British population fell below 50% sometime between the 2001 Census (~59.8%†) and the 2011 Census (~44.9%†). By 2021, the White British share had fallen to approximately 36.8%†. This makes London the only English region where White British residents are less than 40% of the population.

What is the most common ethnic group in London?

White British remains the single largest ethnic group in London at approximately 36.8%†, but no group constitutes a majority. Asian/Asian British is the second largest group at approximately 20.7%†, followed by Other White at approximately 14.9%† and Black/African/Caribbean at approximately 13.5%†. All figures are estimates based on 2021 Census data.