# Demographics of Manchester

Manchester is a populous city in the North West of England. Its total population as of 2021 is 551,938.
This article focuses on the district, that being the City of Manchester rather than the built-up urban area.

## Population

Historically the population of Manchester began to increase rapidly during the Victorian era, estimated at 354,930 for Manchester and 110,833 for Salford in 1865, and peaking at 766,311 in 1931. From then the population began to decrease rapidly, due to slum clearance and the increased building of social housing overspill estates by Manchester City Council after the Second World War such as Hattersley and Langley.
The population of Manchester currently sits at 551,938 as of 2021.

### Age

* Population pyramid of Manchester over time
* 1861
* 1881
* 1891
* 1911
* 1931
* 1951
* 1961
* 1971
* 1981
* 1991
* 2001
* 2011
* 2021

## Country of birth

| Country of birth | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Country of birth | 1981 | 1981 | 1991 | 1991 | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Country of birth | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| United Kingdom | 388,622 | 88.8% | 358,399 | 88.5% | 334,771 | 85.3% | 376,066 | 74.7% | 378,730 | 68.6% |
| Foreign born | 49,040 | 11.2% | 46,462 | 11.5% | 58,048 | 14.7% | 127,061 | 25.3% | 173,208 | 31.4% |
| Total | 437,662 | 100% | 404,861 | 100% | 392,819 | 100% | 503,127 | 100% | 551,938 | 100% |

## Ethnicity

Manchester is an ethnically diverse city, comprising a vast degree of ethnicities from all over the world. The ethnic makeup of the city during the 21st century has changed, with 81% defining themselves as White and 74.5% White British in 2001, and 56.8% defining themselves as white and 48.7% White British in 2021. Asian British people have risen from around 6.6% of the city in 1991, to a total of 20.9% in 2021, with the majority being of Pakistani ethnicity. Black British people have additionally risen, in conjunction with Mixed ethnicity people and Other ethnic groups category, rising from 4.7% in 1991 to 12%, 3.2% in 2001 to 5.2% and 1.4% in 1991 to 5.1% respectively.
Below shows the estimations of the ethnicity of Manchester for 1971 and 1981, and the census results for Manchester's ethnicity in 1991 to 2021.
| Ethnic group | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Ethnic group | 1966 estimations | 1966 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 | % |
| White: Total | – | – | 512,936 | 95.8% | 413,954 | 91.3% | 382,377 | 87.2% | 318,013 | 81% | 335,109 | 66.6% | 313,632 | 56.8% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 292,498 | 74.5% | 298,237 | 59.3% | 268,572 | 48.7% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14,826 | 3.8% | 11,843 | 2.4% | 9,442 | 1.7% |
| White: Traveller of Irish heritage | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 509 | 0.1% | 597 | 0.1% |
| White: Gypsy/Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 883 | 0.2% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10,689 | 2.7% | 24,520 | 4.9% | 34,138 | 6.2% |
| Asian / Asian British: Total | – | – | – | – | 19,263 | 4.2% | 29,223 | 6.7% | 41,003 | 10.4% | 85,986 | 17.1% | 115,109 | 20.9% |
| Asian / Asian British: Indian | – | – | – | – | 3,489 | | 4,819 | | 5,817 | | 11,417 | 2.3% | 14,857 | 2.7% |
| Asian / Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | – | – | 10,912 | | 16,999 | | 23,104 | 5.9% | 42,904 | 8.5% | 65,875 | 11.9% |
| Asian / Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | – | – | 1,112 | | 2,214 | | 3,654 | | 6,437 | 1.3% | 9,673 | 1.8% |
| Asian / Asian British: Chinese | – | – | – | – | 2,419 | | 3,205 | | 5,126 | | 13,539 | 2.7% | 12,644 | 2.3% |
| Asian / Asian British: Other Asians | – | – | – | – | 1,331 | | 1,986 | | 3,302 | | 11,689 | 2.3% | 12,060 | 2.2% |
| Black / Black British: Total | – | – | – | – | 15,947 | 3.5% | 20,866 | 4.8% | 17,739 | 4.5% | 43,484 | 8.6% | 65,893 | 12% |
| Black: African | – | – | – | – | 2,684 | | 3,769 | | 6,655 | 1.7% | 25,718 | 5.1% | 47,858 | 8.7% |
| Black: Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 9,103 | | 11,473 | | 9,044 | 2.3% | 9,642 | 1.9% | 10,472 | 1.9% |
| Black: Other Blacks | – | – | – | – | 4,160 | | 5,624 | | 2,040 | | 8,124 | 1.6% | 7,563 | 1.4% |
| Mixed / British Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12,673 | 3.2% | 23,161 | 4.6% | 29,026 | 5.2% |
| White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,295 | | 8,877 | 1.8% | 9,987 | 1.8% |
| White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,412 | | 4,397 | 0.9% | 5,992 | 1.1% |
| White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,459 | | 4,791 | 1% | 6,149 | 1.1% |
| Any other mixed background | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,507 | | 5,096 | 1% | 6,898 | 1.2% |
| Other: Total | – | – | – | – | 4,258 | 0.9% | 6,033 | 1.3% | 3,391 | 0.9% | 15,387 | 3.1% | 28,278 | 5.1% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9,503 | 1.9% | 15,028 | 2.7% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,391 | 0.9% | 5,884 | 1.2% | 13,250 | 2.4% |
| Ethnic minority | 14,000 | – | 22,484 | 4.2% | 39,468 | 8.7% | 56,122 | 12.8% | 74,806 | 19% | 168,018 | 33.4% | 238,306 | 43.2% |
| Total: | – | 100% | 535,420 | 100% | 453,422 | 100% | 438,499 | 100% | 392,819 | 100% | 503,127 | 100% | 551,938 | 100% |
| Ethnic group | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year | School year |
| Ethnic group | 1971 | 1971 | 1997/1998 | 1997/1998 | 2004/2005 | 2004/2005 | 2021/2022 | 2021/2022 |
| Ethnic group | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| White: Total | – | 94% | 44,068 | 76.8% | 34,860 | 64% | 34,609 | 37.6% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | 33,698 | | 29,591 | 32.2% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | 373 | | 320 | 0.3% |
| White: Traveller of Irish heritage | – | – | – | – | 106 | | 87 | 0.1% |
| White: Gypsy/Roma | – | – | – | – | 23 | | 286 | 0.3% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | 658 | | 4,325 | 4.7% |
| Asian / Asian British: Total | – | – | – | – | 8,893 | 16.3% | 23,594 | 25.9% |
| Asian / Asian British: Indian | – | – | 616 | | 770 | | 2,163 | 2.4% |
| Asian / Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 5,353 | | 6,204 | | 15,838 | 17.3% |
| Asian / Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 744 | | 971 | | 2,157 | 2.4% |
| Asian / Asian British: Chinese | – | – | 441 | | 390 | | 1,073 | 1.2% |
| Asian / Asian British: Other Asians | – | – | | | 558 | | 2,363 | 2.6% |
| Black / Black British: Total | – | – | 4,549 | 7.9% | 4,700 | 8.6% | 15,699 | 17.1% |
| Black: Caribbean | – | – | 2,606 | | 1,517 | | 1,324 | 1.4% |
| Black: African | – | – | 801 | | 2,618 | | 11,014 | 12.0% |
| Black: Other Blacks | – | – | 1,142 | | 564 | | 3,361 | 3.7% |
| Mixed / British Mixed | – | – | – | – | 3,530 | 6.5% | 8,808 | 9.5% |
| Other: Total | – | – | 1,508 | | 1,690 | 3.1% | 7,448 | 8.1% |
| Unclassified | – | – | 80 | 0.1% | 793 | 1.5% | 1,628 | 1.8% |
| Non-White: Total | – | 6% | | 23% | | 36% | | 62.4% |
| Total: | – | 100% | 57,359 | 100% | 54,470 | 100% | 91,786 | 100% |

## Religion

* Christian (36.2%)
* No Religion (32.4%)
* Muslim (22.3%)
* Hindu (1.1%)
* Buddhist (0.6%)
* Sikh (0.5%)
* Jewish (0.5%)
* Other Religions (0.5%)
* Religion Not Stated (5.9%)
Religion in Manchester is complex. In recent decades, the city has seen a large degree of expansion of its Islamic population, now as of 2021 constituting 22.3% of the population, while Christians have declined in pre-dominance to 36.2% in 2021, from 62.4% in 2001.
| Religion | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Religion | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Christian | 245,203 | 62.4 | 245,247 | 48.7 | 199,873 | 36.2 |
| Muslim | 35,806 | 9.1 | 79,496 | 15.8 | 122,962 | 22.3 |
| Hindu | 2,849 | 0.7 | 5,452 | 1.1 | 6,048 | 1.1 |
| Buddhist | 2,144 | 0.5 | 3,879 | 0.8 | 3,219 | 0.6 |
| Sikh | 1,708 | 0.4 | 2,292 | 0.5 | 2,718 | 0.5 |
| Jewish | 3,076 | 0.8 | 2,613 | 0.5 | 2,632 | 0.5 |
| Other religion | 1,111 | 0.3 | 1,889 | 0.4 | 2,736 | 0.5 |
| No religion | 62,744 | 16.0 | 127,485 | 25.3 | 179,037 | 32.4 |
| Religion not stated | 38,178 | 9.7 | 34,774 | 6.9 | 32,713 | 5.9 |
| Total | 392,819 | 100% | 503,127 | 100% | 551,938 | 100% |

## Languages

A variety of languages are spoken in Manchester. 18.3% do not speak English as their main language, although just 2% or fewer residents are unable to speak English at all.
| Main language (aged 3+) | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Main language (aged 3+) | Number | % | Number | % |
| English | 400,886 | 83.4% | 434,289 | 81.7% |
| Non-English | 79,852 | 16.6% | 97,194 | 18.3% |
| Total | 480,738 | 100% | 531,483 | 100% |

## Industry

| Industry sector | Manchester (aged 16 and over in employment) | Manchester (aged 16 and over in employment) |
| 2021 ||
| Industry sector | Number | % |
| A: Agriculture, Forestry and fishing | 205 | 0.1% |
| B: Mining and quarrying | 86 | – |
| C: Manufacturing | 10,303 | 4.4% |
| D: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 969 | 0.4% |
| E: Water supply; Sewerage, Waste management and Remediation activities | 861 | 0.4% |
| F: Construction | 11,817 | 5.0% |
| G: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 36,174 | 15.4% |
| H: Transport and storage | 14,042 | 6.0% |
| J: Information and communication | 16,420 | 7.0% |
| I: Accommodation and food service activities (Distribution or catering; 1981 + 1991) | 12,331 | 5.3% |
| K: Financial and insurance activities | 7,419 | 3.2% |
| L: Real estate activities | 3,535 | 1.5% |
| M: Professional, scientific and technical activities | 17,909 | 7.6% |
| N: Administrative and support service activities | 15,445 | 6.6% |
| P: Education | 9,945 | 4.2% |
| Q: Human health and social work activities | 25,443 | 10.9% |
| O: Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 40,867 | 17.4% |
| R, S, T, U: Other and not stated | 10,519 | 4.5% |
| Total | 234,290 | 100.0 |
Method of transportation to work
| Method of transportation | Manchester (aged 16 and over in employment) | Manchester (aged 16 and over in employment) |
| 2021 ||
| Method of transportation | Number | % |
| Work mainly at or from home | 73,964 | 31.6% |
| Underground, metro, light rail, tram | 6,152 | 2.6% |
| Train | 2,848 | 1.2% |
| Bus, minibus or coach | 23,669 | 10.1% |
| Taxi | 3,654 | 1.6% |
| Motorcycle, scooter or moped | 462 | 0.2% |
| Driving a car or van | 82,379 | 35.2% |
| Passenger in a car or van | 8,217 | 3.5% |
| Bicycle | 7,305 | 3.1% |
| On foot | 22,647 | 9.7% |
| Other method of travel to work (or Not stated) | 2,986 | 1.3% |
| Total | 234,283 | 100% |

## National identity

| National identity | 2021 | 2021 |
| National identity | Number | % |
| British only | 310,709 | 56.3 |
| English only | 48,800 | 8.8 |
| Welsh only | 2,310 | 0.4 |
| Scottish only | – | – |
| Northern irish only | – | – |
| Any combination of UK only identities | 6,985 | 1.3 |
| English and British only | 56,401 | 10.2 |
| Welsh and British only | 891 | 0.2 |
| Scottish and British only | – | – |
| Northern Irish and British only | – | – |
| Irish only | 6,175 | 1.1 |
| Irish and at least one UK identity | 990 | 0.2 |
| Other identity only | 103,748 | 18.8 |
| Other identity and at least one UK identity | 14,929 | 2.7 |
| Total | 551,938 | 100% |

## Education

| Level of qualification | Manchester (aged 16 and over, not in education) | Manchester (aged 16 and over, not in education) |
| 2021 ||
| Level of qualification | Number | % |
| No qualifications | 86,110 | 19.7% |
| Level 1 and entry level qualifications | 34,988 | 8.0% |
| Level 2 qualifications | 45,164 | 10.3% |
| Apprenticeship | 15,322 | 3.5% |
| Level 3 qualifications | 79,621 | 18.2% |
| Level 4 qualifications or above | 164,763 | 37.6% |
| Other qualifications | 11,990 | 2.7% |
| Total | 437,958 | 100.0 |