# Demographics of Bradford

Bradford, England is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. The City of Bradford metropolitan borough is the sixth most populous local authority district in the United Kingdom, and includes not only Bradford but also the towns and villages of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden, Queensbury, Thornton and Denholme.

## Built-up area

The Office for National Statistics identifies "Bradford Built-up area subdivision", defined by its own algorithm, as an area of 81.74 km$^2$ (31.56 sq mi) with a 2011 population of 349,561 and a density of 4,280 people per square km. It is a subdivision of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area.

## Population

The City of Bradford's total population, according to the 2011 UK census, was 522,452. The population density was 1,428 people per square km.

## Ethnicity

The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 1991, 2001 and 2011 censuses in the City of Bradford.
Bradford has had a significant Pakistani population since post war migration began, making up around 20.4% according to the 2011 census. This increase in Pakistanis has generally provided the majority of the growth of the multi-ethnic group of Asian British people within the city. Around 63.9% of the population identify as White British. The black population of Bradford is small, making up just 1.8% of the overall population.
| Ethnic Group | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Ethnic Group | 1961 estimations | 1961 estimations | 1964 estimations | 1964 estimations | 1971 estimations | 1971 estimations | 1981 estimations | 1981 estimations | 1991 census | 1991 census | 2001 census | 2001 census | 2011 census | 2011 census | 2021 census | 2021 census |
| Ethnic Group | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| White: Total | – | – | – | – | 421,351 | 94.2% | 404,500 | 87% | 386,025 | 84.4% | 366,041 | 78.27% | 352,317 | 67.44% | 334,004 | 61.1% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 355,684 | 76.06% | 333,628 | 63.86% | 309,912 | 56.7% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4,759 | 1.04% | 3,479 | 0.74% | 2,541 | 0.49% | 2,139 | 0.4% |
| White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 433 | 0.08% | 849 | 0.2% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,583 | 0.3% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6,878 | 1.47% | 15,715 | 3.01% | 19,521 | 3.6% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48,800 | 10.5% | 62,963 | 13.79% | 89,293 | 19.09% | 140,149 | 26.83% | 175,664 | 32.1% |
| Asian or Asian British: Indian | – | – | – | – | 7,748 | 1.7% | 12,900 | 2.8% | 11,713 | 2.56% | 12,504 | 2.67% | 13,555 | 2.59% | 14,429 | 2.6% |
| Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | 7,000 | 1.6% | 10,000 | – | – | – | 33,600 | 7.2% | 45,280 | 9.9% | 67,994 | 14.54% | 106,614 | 20.41% | 139,553 | 25.5% |
| Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 1,500 | – | – | – | 2,300 | 0.5% | 3,653 | 0.79% | 4,967 | 1.06% | 9,863 | 1.89% | 12,403 | 2.3% |
| Asian or Asian British: Chinese | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 720 | 0.15% | 896 | 0.19% | 2,086 | 0.40% | 1,345 | 0.2% |
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,597 | 0.34% | 2,932 | 0.63% | 8,031 | 1.54% | 7,934 | 1.5% |
| Black or Black British: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6,200 | 1.3% | 5,336 | 1.16% | 4,333 | 0.93% | 9,267 | 1.77% | 10,978 | 2% |
| Black or Black British: African | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 610 | 0.13% | 970 | 0.21% | 4,993 | 0.96% | 7,061 | 1.3% |
| Black or Black British: Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,323 | 0.72% | 3,038 | 0.65% | 3,581 | 0.69% | 2,614 | 0.5% |
| Black or Black British: Other Black | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,403 | 0.3% | 325 | 0.07% | 693 | 0.13% | 1,303 | 0.2% |
| Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6,937 | 1.48% | 12,979 | 2.48% | 15,006 | 2.7% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,611 | 0.56% | 4,663 | 0.89% | 4,426 | 0.8% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 449 | 0.10% | 875 | 0.17% | 1,196 | 0.2% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,926 | 0.63% | 5,677 | 1.09% | 6,458 | 1.2% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 951 | 0.20% | 1,764 | 0.34% | 2,926 | 0.5% |
| Other: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,350 | 1.2% | 3,020 | 0.66% | 1,061 | 0.23% | 7,740 | 1.48% | 10,760 | 2% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,714 | 0.71% | 2,734 | 0.5% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,350 | 1.2% | 3,020 | 0.66% | 1,061 | 0.23% | 4,026 | 0.77% | 8,026 | 1.5% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | – | – | – | – | 26,195 | 5.8% | 60,350 | 13% | 71,319 | 15.6% | 101,624 | 21.7% | 170,135 | 32.6% | 212,408 | 38.9% |
| Total | 447,546 | 100% | – | – | 451,753 | 100% | 464,850 | 100% | 457,344 | 100% | 467,665 | 100% | 522,452 | 100% | 546,412 | 100% |
Notes for table above
* ↑ New category created for the 2011 census
* ↑ In 2001, listed under the 'Chinese or other ethnic group' heading.
* ↑ New category created for the 2011 census
* White
* White-British
* White-Irish
* White-Other
* Asian
* Asian-Indian
* Asian-Pakistani
* Asian-Bangladeshi
* Asian-Chinese
* Black
* Black-African
* Black-Caribbean
* Other-Arab
* Population pyramids of ethnicities in Bradford in 2021
* White British
* Asian: Total
* Asian: Pakistani

### Ethnicity of school pupils

The ethnicity of school pupils within Bradford has been in flux, with the native White British population declining from a majority of 61.7% in 2004 to a minority of 40.1% of the total school pupil population. This shift has turned Bradford's schools into a majority-minority state, where there are no overall majorities. Asian British school children have risen from 33.1% of the school pupil population to a stagnate 42.7% in 2022, having declined the previous two years from 43.1% in 2020. The largest group within this multi-ethnic amalgamation is British Pakistanis at 36.4% of the total school population. Black British school pupils have risen slightly from 1% to 1.9% with the majority of growth coming from Black Africans. Other groups such as Other ethnicities, Other Whites and Mixed people have also increased as well.
| Ethnic group | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year |
| Ethnic group | 1967 | 1967 | 1971 | 1971 | 2004 | 2004 | 2008 | 2008 | 2012 | 2012 | 2015/16 | 2015/16 | 2019/20 | 2019/20 | 2021/2022 | 2021/2022 |
| Ethnic group | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| White: Total | – | 93.3% | – | 89.5% | 45,930 | 62.6% | 41,380 | 56% | 39,320 | 51.1% | 40,978 | 48.7% | 46,896 | 46.3% | 46,157 | 45.5% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | 45,300 | 61.7% | 40,027 | 54.2% | 36,885 | 47.9% | 36,629 | 43.6% | 41,350 | 40.9% | 40,577 | 40.1% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | 90 | | 85 | | 94 | | 96 | 0.1% | 115 | 0.1% | 113 | 0.1% |
| White: Traveller of Irish heritage | – | – | – | – | 20 | | 21 | | 36 | | 31 | 0.0% | 28 | 0.0% | 37 | 0.0% |
| White: Gypsy/Roma | – | – | – | – | 70 | | 166 | | 494 | | 1,260 | 1.5% | 1,140 | 1.1% | 1,031 | 1.0% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | 450 | 0.6% | 1,082 | | 1,809 | | 2,962 | 3.5% | 4,263 | 4.2% | 4,399 | 4.3% |
| Asian / Asian British: Total | – | – | – | – | 24,280 | 33.1% | 28,387 | 38.4% | 32,704 | 42.5% | 36,353 | 43.3% | 43,447 | 43.1% | 43,268 | 42.7% |
| Asian / Asian British: Indian | – | – | – | – | 1,790 | 2.4% | 1,839 | | 1,838 | | 1,809 | 2.2% | 1,982 | 2.0% | 1,974 | 1.9% |
| Asian / Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | – | – | 20,160 | 27.5% | 23,241 | 31.5% | 26,727 | 34.7% | 30,674 | 36.5% | 36,849 | 36.5% | 36,841 | 36.4% |
| Asian / Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | – | – | 1,750 | | 2,141 | | 2,518 | | 2,851 | 3.4% | 3,315 | 3.3% | 3,153 | 3.1% |
| Asian / Asian British: Chinese | – | – | – | – | 80 | | 85 | | 110 | | 88 | 0.1% | 98 | 0.1% | 97 | 0.1% |
| Asian / Asian British: Other Asians | – | – | – | – | 500 | | 1,081 | | 1,511 | | 931 | 1.1% | 1,203 | 1.2% | 1,203 | 1.2% |
| Black / Black British: Total | – | – | – | – | 700 | 1% | 940 | 1.3% | 1,015 | 1.3% | 1,170 | 1.4% | 1,762 | 1.7% | 1,954 | 1.9% |
| Black: Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 340 | | 326 | | 309 | | 284 | 0.3% | 252 | 0.2% | 215 | 0.2% |
| Black: African | – | – | – | – | 270 | 0.4% | 488 | | 577 | | 815 | 1.0% | 1,316 | 1.3% | 1,515 | 1.5% |
| Black: Other Blacks | – | – | – | – | 90 | | 118 | | 131 | | 107 | 0.1% | 194 | 0.2% | 224 | 0.2% |
| Mixed / British Mixed | – | – | – | – | 1,800 | 2.5% | 2,390 | 3.2% | 2,900 | 3.8% | 3,903 | 4.6% | 6,124 | 6.0% | 6,550 | 6.5% |
| Other: Total | – | – | – | – | 250 | 0.3% | 557 | 0.8% | 760 | 1% | 961 | 1.1% | 1,566 | 1.5% | 1,880 | 1.9% |
| Unclassified | – | – | – | – | 430 | 0.6% | 20 | – | 225 | 0.3% | 592 | 0.7% | 1,261 | 1.2% | 1,500 | 1.5% |
| Non-White: Total | – | 6.7% | – | 10.5% | | 37.4% | | 44% | | 48.9% | | 51.3% | | 53.7% | | 54.5% |
| Total: | – | 100% | – | 100% | 73,380 | 100% | 73,860 | 100% | 76,930 | 100% | 83,993 | 100% | 101,056 | 100% | 101,309 | 100% |

## Country of birth

| Country of birth | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Country of birth | 1961 census | 1961 census | 1981 census | 1981 census | 2021 census | 2021 census |
| Country of birth | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| United Kingdom | – | 95.4% | 409,202 | 90.1% | 444,478 | 81.3% |
| Foreign born | – | 4.6% | 44,990 | 9.9% | 101,938 | 18.7% |
| Total | – | 100% | 454,192 | 100% | 546,416 | 100% |

## Languages

The most common main languages spoken in the City of Bradford according to the 2011 census are shown below.
| Rank | Language | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion |
| 1 | English | 424,527 | 85.31% |
| 2 | Punjabi | 19,842 | 3.99% |
| 3 | Urdu | 16,550 | 3.33% |
| 4 | Polish | 5,526 | 1.11% |
| 5 | Bengali (incl. Sylheti and Chatgaya) | 4,743 | 0.95% |
| 6 | Pashto | 3,580 | 0.72% |
| 7 | Gujarati | 2,638 | 0.53% |
| 8 | Arabic | 2,398 | 0.48% |
| 9 | Slovak | 2,162 | 0.43% |
| 10 | Kurdish | 1,275 | 0.26% |
| 11 | Pakistani Pahari (incl. Mirpuri and Potwari) | 1,048 | 0.21% |
| 12 | Latvian | 985 | 0.20% |
| 13 | Russian | 690 | 0.14% |
| 14 | Czech | 642 | 0.13% |
| 15 | Tagalog/Filipino | 640 | 0.13% |
| 16 | Persian | 592 | 0.12% |
| 17 | Italian | 564 | 0.11% |
| 18 | French | 443 | 0.09% |
| 19 | Lithuanian | 436 | 0.09% |
| 20 | Greek | 382 | 0.08% |
| | Other | 7,945 | 1.60% |

## Religion

The following table shows the religion of respondents in the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses in the City of Bradford.
| Religion | 1980 estimates | 1980 estimates | 1989 estimations | 1989 estimations | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Religion | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Holds religious beliefs | – | – | – | – | 367,518 | 78.58 | 381,876 | 73.09 | 362,291 | 66.3 |
| Christian | – | – | – | – | 281,236 | 60.14 | 239,843 | 45.91 | 182,566 | 33.4 |
| Muslim | 45,000 | – | 50,000 | – | 75,188 | 16.08 | 129,041 | 24.70 | 166,846 | 30.5 |
| Sikh | – | – | – | – | 4,748 | 1.02 | 5,125 | 0.98 | 4,834 | 0.9 |
| Hindu | – | – | – | – | 4,457 | 0.95 | 4,882 | 0.93 | 4,757 | 0.9 |
| Buddhist | – | – | – | – | 537 | 0.11 | 1,000 | 0.19 | 959 | 0.2 |
| Jewish | – | – | – | – | 356 | 0.08 | 299 | 0.06 | 254 | <0.1 |
| Other religion | – | – | – | – | 996 | 0.21 | 1,686 | 0.32 | 2,074 | 0.4 |
| No religion | – | – | – | – | 62,266 | 13.31 | 108,027 | 20.68 | 154,305 | 28.2 |
| Religion not stated | – | – | – | – | 37,921 | 8.11 | 32,549 | 6.23 | 29,816 | 5.5 |
| Total population | – | – | – | – | 467,655 | 100.0 | 522,452 | 100.0 | 546,412 | 100.0 |

## Industry

Manufacturing in Bradford has collapsed since the middle half of the 20th century.