More children and fewer elderly people help Muslim population grow faster than population overall, analysis of latest census data shows

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Muslim population of England and Wales is growing faster than the overall population, with a higher proportion of children and a lower ratio of elderly people, according to an analysis of official data.

One in three Muslims is under 15, compared with fewer than one in five overall. There are also fewer elderly Muslims, with 4% aged over 65, compared with 16% of the overall population.

In 2011, 2.71 million Muslims lived in England and Wales, compared with 1.55 million in 2001. There were also 77,000 Muslims in Scotland and 3,800 in Northern Ireland.

The Muslim Council of Britain’s (MCB) study of data from the 2011 census found that Muslims are still a small minority of the overall population – one in 20. This contrasts with popular perceptions held by Britons, who overstate the proportion of Muslims in the country by a factor of four, according to a recent survey by Ipsos Mori.





Half the Muslims in England and Wales were born there and almost three-quarters (73%) identify themselves as British. Two-thirds of Muslims are ethnically Asian and 8% are white.

The analysis, which aims to provide a comprehensive picture of Muslim demographics in England and Wales, is the first of its kind. It was made possible because 92% of respondents completed a voluntary question on religion in the 2011 census.



The MCB, which is affiliated with 500 institutions, said: “The report is the first comprehensive and detailed report of its kind looking at Muslims from a data perspective.”

The organisation said that there were a number of issues in the report for government and policymakers to consider.



The report stresses Muslim civil society needs to better appreciate “social realities” and provide good advice on health as well as tackling social issues such as homelessness, higher divorce rates and social inequality.

Responding to the report, the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, said: “I believe that every person, whatever their background and circumstances, should have an equal chance to thrive.

“What’s not in doubt is that British Muslims can be proud of the contribution they make to our country.”

Clegg added: “Drawing on analysis like this, together we can help create jobs, drive growth and enable more people to get on – building the stronger economy and fairer society we want for Britain’s future.”



The figures show that Muslims make up 20% or more of the electorate in 26 constituencies and live in all local authority areas in England and Wales. “There has been a spreading-out effect and this has accelerated in the past 10 years,” said Sundas Ali, a sociologist at Oxford University.

Yet 80% of Muslims live in inner-city areas of Greater London, the West Midlands, the north-west and Yorkshire and the Humber.



The study’s findings reflect “fast-changing immigration communities”, with a younger and better educated Muslim population, said Maria Sobolewska, a politics lecturer at the University of Manchester.



But, she added, Muslims still faced discrimination and disadvantage. “We see this with the number of people who are homeless and live in deprived neighbourhoods. This is where you grow up, go to school.”

Eight per cent of all school-age children (five to 15) are from Muslim households. Some schools have a high proportion of Muslim pupils, such as those in Washwood Heath in Birmingham, where 86% of school-age children are Muslim.

The report says issues such as underachievement, low teacher expectations, high rates of student exclusions, racism and Islamophobia need to be tackled. “Events such as the Trojan horse affair have unfortunately only served to dishearten Muslim educationalists and community organisers seeking the best for local children.”

The proportion of Muslim adults with degree level and above qualifications is similar to the general population, at 24% compared with 27%. In the last census, there were 329,694 Muslim full-time students, of which 43% were women.

However, just 5.5% of Muslims have jobs defined as a “higher professional occupation”, compared with 7.6% of the overall population.

Economic activity among Muslims is lower than the overall population as a whole. In 2011, 19.8% of Muslims were in full-time employment, compared with 34.9% of the overall population.

Despite high numbers of Muslim women in full-time education, the findings show that within the 16 to 74 age band, 18% of Muslim women are “looking after home and family”, compared with 6% in the overall population.

Half of all Muslims live in the most deprived local authority districts in England – an increase since 2001, when the figure was one in three.

A higher proportion of Muslims live in social housing than the overall population, 28% compared with 17%. The report points to a low takeup of the help-to-buy scheme among Muslims, adding that the reasons should be investigated “to see whether the avoidance of conventional mortgage-based house purchase[s] is an issue”.

Fifteen per cent of Muslim households own their property, compared with the overall population, in which 31% are homeowners. Thirty per cent of Muslim households live in privately rented accommodation, compared with 18% of the population as a whole.

James Nazroo, a professor of sociology at Manchester University, said: “I think there are a large number of myths around the ethnic minority and religious minority populations in the UK and so it’s important that these myths have light shone on them.”



He added: “This is where the policy engagement can happen and we can work on the basis of good information rather than the basis of myths and look at inequalities that sections of our society face.”

