Ethnic groups in London
Encyclopedia
London
, England
, United Kingdom
, population 7,556,900 in 2007 claims to be one of the most ethnically diverse cities on earth, with over 300 language
s spoken in it and more than 50 non-indigenous communities which have a population of more than 10,000. According to 2007 estimates, 31.0 per cent of London's population is from an ethnic minority (defined as non-white) and 42.3 per cent belong to groups other than white British.
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arrived in London; fleeing poverty and the Bangladesh Liberation War
. Many settled around Brick Lane
, where they entered the textile trade. This trade has declined causing unemployment, but the community has moved into other businesses, including restaurants and banking. The level of immigration peaked in 1986, and has entered a decline with the introduction of harsher immigration laws.
The community remains concentrated around Bethnal Green
and Whitechapel
; and has spread into other east London boroughs. London as a city is home to the single largest number of people of Bangladesi origin outside of Bangladesh, with close to 200,000 individuals being of full Bangladeshi origin in 2007.
constitute the fourth largest Asian
group in London (behind the Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis respectively), numbering 114,800 in 2007 they are spread more or less across the entire city and have become successful in British life, especially when it comes to cuisine
. There is a long and complex history of the Chinese in London, with the first Chinese people arriving in the city in the 19th century as sailors. See here for more information.
, Lambeth
, Newham
, Hackney
, Haringey
, Lewisham
, Merton
, Croydon
and Brent
.
, Regent's Park
, Chelsea
and Kensington
Census tract
s.
The Census tracts with the highest number of Cypriot-born people in 2001 were Palmers Green
, Upper Edmonton
, Cockfosters
, Lower Edmonton, Tottenham
North and Tottenham South. Many Greek-Cypriots reside in Wood Green
, Green Lanes
and Palmers Green, the latter habouring the largest community of Greek-Cypriots outside Cyprus
, resulting in these areas bearing local nicknames whereby the Green is replaced by Greek – as in Greek Lanes and Palmers Greek.
According to a City of London Corporation sponsored report, there are between 28,600 and 31,000 Greek speakers in Greater London.
s have long been one of London's largest ethnic minority groups and in 2007 over 500,000 Indians were residing in London (this excludes people of half or less Indian origin). Around 7% of London's population is of Indian origin. Indians have existed in the British capital for generations and come from all walks of life.
migration to Great Britain has a lengthy history due to the close proximity of, and complex relationship between, the islands of Ireland
and Great Britain
and the various political entities that have ruled them. Today, millions of residents of Great Britain are either from the island of Ireland
or have Irish ancestry. Around six million Britons have an Irish grandfather or grandmother (approximately 10% of the UK population). 900,000 ethnic Irish people live in the capital (12% of city's population), despite this, some sources put the population of people of Irish descent in London at 77% (some 5 and a half million people), although the White British and White Irish populations combined are less than this.
era the presence of these immigrants was requested to help reconstruct the British economy. Industries such as British Rail
, the NHS
and London transport
recruited almost exclusively from Jamaica. Some 250,000 Londoners are of Jamaican origin.
) is home to the largest Nigerian community in the UK, and possibly the largest overseas Nigerian community in the world. The first Nigerians in London were those caught up in the slave trade over 200 years ago.
In the mid-20th century a wave of Nigerian immigrants came to London after hearing of the need for more skilled workers. Civil and political unrest in the country contributed to numerous refugees' arriving in England. The vast majority of famous and notable British people of Nigerian origin were either born in or now live in London.
Peckham
(also known as Little Lagos and Yorubatown) is home to one of the largest overseas Nigerian communities in the world; many of the local establishments are Yoruba owned. Nigerian churches and mosques can be found in the area. As immigrants become assimilated, English
is becoming the predominant language of the local Nigerian British population. The Yoruba language
is declining in use in the Peckham area despite the increasing Nigerian population. In 2001, about 7 percent of Peckham's population was born in Nigeria. A much larger proportion of the ward's 60% Black population is of Nigerian descent, as 40% are Black African.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, population 7,556,900 in 2007 claims to be one of the most ethnically diverse cities on earth, with over 300 language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s spoken in it and more than 50 non-indigenous communities which have a population of more than 10,000. According to 2007 estimates, 31.0 per cent of London's population is from an ethnic minority (defined as non-white) and 42.3 per cent belong to groups other than white British.
2001 Census
| Ethnic Group | % of London's population |
|---|---|
| White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... |
71.1 |
| White British White British White British was an ethnicity classification used in the 2001 United Kingdom Census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people in the United Kingdom were classified as White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White... |
59.8 |
| White Irish | 3.1 |
| Other White White Other (United Kingdom Census) The term Other White is used in the UK census to describe people who self-identify as white persons who are not British nor Irish. The category does not comprise a single ethnic group but is instead a method of identification for white people who are not represented by other white census categories... |
8.3 |
| Mixed | 3.2 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.0 |
| White and Black African | 0.5 |
| White and South Asian | 0.8 |
| Other Mixed | 0.9 |
| South Asian British Asian British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom... |
12.1 |
| Indian | 6.1 |
| Pakistani | 2.0 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.2 |
| Other South Asian British Asian British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom... |
1.9 |
| Black Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
10.9 |
| Black Caribbean British African-Caribbean community The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa... |
4.8 |
| Black African Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
5.3 |
| Other Black Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
0.8 |
| East Asian or Other | 2.7 |
| Chinese | 1.1 |
| Other | 1.6 |
| Total population | 7,172,091 |
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2007 Estimates
| Ethnic Group | % of London's population |
|---|---|
| White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... |
69.1 |
| White British White British White British was an ethnicity classification used in the 2001 United Kingdom Census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people in the United Kingdom were classified as White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White... |
57.7 |
| White Irish | 2.4 |
| Other White White Other (United Kingdom Census) The term Other White is used in the UK census to describe people who self-identify as white persons who are not British nor Irish. The category does not comprise a single ethnic group but is instead a method of identification for white people who are not represented by other white census categories... |
8.9 |
| Mixed | 3.5 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.0 |
| White and Black African | 0.5 |
| White and South Asian | 1.0 |
| Other Mixed | 1.0 |
| South Asian British Asian British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom... |
13.3 |
| Indian | 6.6 |
| Pakistani | 2.4 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.3 |
| Other South Asian British Asian British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom... |
2.0 |
| Black Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
10.6 |
| Black Caribbean British African-Caribbean community The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa... |
4.3 |
| Black African Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
5.5 |
| Other Black Black British Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and... |
0.8 |
| East Asian or Other | 3.5 |
| Chinese | 1.5 |
| Other | 2.0 |
| Total population | 7,556,900 |
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Bangladeshis
Bengali seaman have settled in London since the 19th century. A major wave of immigration began in the 1970s, as people from the Sylhet DivisionSylhet Division
Sylhet Division , also known as Greater Sylhet or Sylhet region, is the northeastern division of Bangladesh, named after its main city, Sylhet...
arrived in London; fleeing poverty and the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. Many settled around Brick Lane
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of...
, where they entered the textile trade. This trade has declined causing unemployment, but the community has moved into other businesses, including restaurants and banking. The level of immigration peaked in 1986, and has entered a decline with the introduction of harsher immigration laws.
The community remains concentrated around Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
and Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
; and has spread into other east London boroughs. London as a city is home to the single largest number of people of Bangladesi origin outside of Bangladesh, with close to 200,000 individuals being of full Bangladeshi origin in 2007.
Chinese
Chinese peopleChinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
constitute the fourth largest Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
group in London (behind the Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis respectively), numbering 114,800 in 2007 they are spread more or less across the entire city and have become successful in British life, especially when it comes to cuisine
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
. There is a long and complex history of the Chinese in London, with the first Chinese people arriving in the city in the 19th century as sailors. See here for more information.
Ghanaians
Besides Nigerians, Ghanaians are the largest Black African group in London, with the majority being situated in the boroughs of SouthwarkLondon Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
, Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
, Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
, Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
, Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
and Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
.
Greeks
According to "History of London's Greek community" by Jonathan Harris, the Greek population of London numbered several thousand by 1870 AD whereas in 1850 AD it numbered just a few hundred. The 2001 Census recorded 12,360 Greek-born people living in London, with particular concentrations in the Hyde ParkHyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, Regent's Park
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
, Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
and Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
Census tract
Census tract
A census tract, census area, or census district is a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census. Usually these coincide with the limits of cities, towns or other administrative areas and several tracts commonly exist within a county...
s.
The Census tracts with the highest number of Cypriot-born people in 2001 were Palmers Green
Palmers Green
Palmers Green is a place in the London Borough of Enfield. It is a suburban area situated 7.6 miles north of Charing Cross. Postally, it is in London N13...
, Upper Edmonton
Edmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
, Cockfosters
Cockfosters
Cockfosters is a suburb of North London, lying partly in the London Borough of Enfield and partly in the London Borough of Barnet. The counties of Hertfordshire and Middlesex respectively are still used in postal addresses.The name has been recorded as far back as 1524, and is thought to be either...
, Lower Edmonton, Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
North and Tottenham South. Many Greek-Cypriots reside in Wood Green
Wood Green
Wood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Green Lanes
Green Lanes
Green Lanes, London, is a main road in North London and forms part of the A105. At approximately 7.5 miles from end to end, it is one of the longest streets in the capital....
and Palmers Green, the latter habouring the largest community of Greek-Cypriots outside Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, resulting in these areas bearing local nicknames whereby the Green is replaced by Greek – as in Greek Lanes and Palmers Greek.
According to a City of London Corporation sponsored report, there are between 28,600 and 31,000 Greek speakers in Greater London.
Indians
British IndianBritish Indian
The term British Indian refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK...
s have long been one of London's largest ethnic minority groups and in 2007 over 500,000 Indians were residing in London (this excludes people of half or less Indian origin). Around 7% of London's population is of Indian origin. Indians have existed in the British capital for generations and come from all walks of life.
Irish
IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
migration to Great Britain has a lengthy history due to the close proximity of, and complex relationship between, the islands of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the various political entities that have ruled them. Today, millions of residents of Great Britain are either from the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
or have Irish ancestry. Around six million Britons have an Irish grandfather or grandmother (approximately 10% of the UK population). 900,000 ethnic Irish people live in the capital (12% of city's population), despite this, some sources put the population of people of Irish descent in London at 77% (some 5 and a half million people), although the White British and White Irish populations combined are less than this.
Jamaicans
There are records to show of Black people, predominantly from Jamaica living in London during the 17th and 18th centuries; but it was not until the arrival of the Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948 which saw significant numbers of Caribbeans, in particular Jamaicans, arrive in the capital. This has since become an important landmark in the history of modern multicultural Britain. During the post World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era the presence of these immigrants was requested to help reconstruct the British economy. Industries such as British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
and London transport
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
recruited almost exclusively from Jamaica. Some 250,000 Londoners are of Jamaican origin.
Nigerians
London (in particular the Southern BoroughsSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
) is home to the largest Nigerian community in the UK, and possibly the largest overseas Nigerian community in the world. The first Nigerians in London were those caught up in the slave trade over 200 years ago.
In the mid-20th century a wave of Nigerian immigrants came to London after hearing of the need for more skilled workers. Civil and political unrest in the country contributed to numerous refugees' arriving in England. The vast majority of famous and notable British people of Nigerian origin were either born in or now live in London.
Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
(also known as Little Lagos and Yorubatown) is home to one of the largest overseas Nigerian communities in the world; many of the local establishments are Yoruba owned. Nigerian churches and mosques can be found in the area. As immigrants become assimilated, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is becoming the predominant language of the local Nigerian British population. The Yoruba language
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
is declining in use in the Peckham area despite the increasing Nigerian population. In 2001, about 7 percent of Peckham's population was born in Nigeria. A much larger proportion of the ward's 60% Black population is of Nigerian descent, as 40% are Black African.
External links
- Ethnicity Profiles: London by the Commission for Racial Equality