White British children will be outnumbered in state school classrooms in England within 23 years, research reveals.

Population trends since 2004 have seen ethnic minorities soar by 61 per cent in primary and secondary schools as the number of white Britons dropped by 12 per cent.

The findings in a Department for Education report suggest increased immigration and falling birth rates will see classroom demographics shift dramatically by 2037.

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Shift: Population trends in the last decade suggest white British pupils will be a minority by 2037, a report says

White British pupils aged five to 18 are already a minority in many on the UK's major cities.

The indigenous population has dropped from 5.4 million pupils to 4.8 million in just ten years - with the most notable changes seen in schools in London and Birmingham.

Meanwhile, the number of pupils from ethnic minorities has risen from 1.14 million to 1.83 million in the same period.

The biggest ethnic-minority group in English schools is of Asian-origin with just under 670,000 pupils.

Black British and white non-British are the next biggest group, with almost 360,000.

And there are 320,000 mixed race children in English classrooms.

The figures come a month after a study revealed w hite teenagers are the least likely group to apply to university after being overtaken by black pupils.

Rising numbers from all ethnic groups are setting their sights on a degree but white teenagers are less likely to apply than black, Asian or Chinese pupils.

The statistics also show that pupils on free school meals due to family poverty are half as likely to seek a place as their more privileged peers.

The figures come after studies revealed a rise in immigration and falling birth rates among white Britons

Just one in seven schoolboys on free meals is aiming for university.

The analysis from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service examined applications from 18-year-olds at England’s state schools to start university this autumn.

It shows that 31 per cent of white teenagers applied – compared with 61 per cent of Chinese, 45 per cent of Asian and 39 per cent of black.

The report compares the figures with those from 2006 and finds that demand among black teenagers has overtaken the proportion of white pupils applying. While the application rate of white teenagers rose from 25 to 31 per cent, black pupils increased their applications more rapidly, from 24 per cent to 39 per cent.