# Demographics of Leicester

Leicester, England is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. It is the thirteenth most populous city in the United Kingdom.

## Population

Leicester's total population, according to the 2011 UK census, was 329,839. The population density was 4,494 people per square km.

## Ethnicity

The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 censuses in Leicester. The local district has been in a majority-minority state since around 2008 and was reported in the 2011 census to be that, with the White British population at 45% of the population of Leicester. Asian British residents, especially Indians, have risen since post-war migration to the UK began, famously Asians from Uganda who were expelled in 1972. In 1991, Asians as a broad multi-ethnic group made up nearly a quarter of the city's population but have risen to above a third of the population at 37.1%. Black British people have also risen as a group with the increase mostly coming from Black Africans who have risen from 0.3% of the city's population to nearly 4%.
| Ethnic group | 1961 estimations | 1961 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 | 267,470 | 97.8% | 255,928 | 90% | 207,109 | 78.6% | 202,332 | 71.1% | 178,739 | 63.85% | 166,636 | 50.52% | 150,657 | 40.88% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 169,456 | 60.54% | 148,629 | 45.06% | 122,395 | 33.21% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4,134 | 1.52% | 3,602 | 1.29% | 2,524 | 0.77% | 1,789 | 0.49% |
| White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 417 | 0.13% | 457 | 0.12% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 839 | 0.23% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,681 | 2.03% | 15,066 | 4.57% | 25,177 | 6.83% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | 3,742 | 1.4% | – | – | 48,923 | 18.6% | 72,069 | 25.3% | 85,177 | 30.43% | 122,470 | 37.13% | 159,977 | 43.40% |
| Asian or Asian British: Indian | – | – | – | – | 44,132 | 16.7% | 64,669 | 22.7% | 72,033 | 25.73% | 93,335 | 28.30% | 126,421 | 34.30% |
| Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | – | – | 1,827 | 0.7% | 2,827 | 1% | 4,276 | 1.53% | 8,067 | 2.45% | 12,673 | 3.44% |
| Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | – | – | 591 | | 1,131 | | 1,926 | 0.69% | 3,642 | 1.10% | 7,055 | 1.91% |
| Asian or Asian British: Chinese | – | – | – | – | 495 | | 716 | | 1,426 | 0.51% | 4,245 | 1.29% | 2,481 | 0.67% |
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | – | – | 1,878 | 0.7% | 2,726 | 0.9% | 5,516 | 1.97% | 13,181 | 4.00% | 11,347 | 3.08% |
| Black or Black British: Total | – | – | – | – | 5,300 | 2% | 7,065 | 2.5% | 8,595 | 3.07% | 20,585 | 6.24% | 28,766 | 7.80% |
| Black or Black British: Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 3,382 | 1.3% | 4,394 | 1.5% | 4,610 | 1.65% | 4,790 | 1.45% | 5,025 | 1.36% |
| Black or Black British: African | – | – | – | – | 568 | | 782 | | 3,432 | 1.23% | 12,480 | 3.78% | 21,536 | 5.84% |
| Black or Black British: Other Black | – | – | – | – | 1,350 | | 1,889 | | 553 | 0.20% | 3,315 | 1.01% | 2,764 | 0.75% |
| Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6,506 | 2.32% | 11,580 | 3.51% | 13,899 | 3.77% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,841 | 1.01% | 4,691 | 1.42% | 5,025 | 1.36% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 539 | 0.19% | 1,161 | 0.35% | 1,776 | 0.48% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,908 | 0.68% | 3,388 | 1.03% | 3,659 | 0.99% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,218 | 0.44% | 2,340 | 0.71% | 3,439 | 0.75% |
| Other: Total | – | – | – | – | 2,266 | 0.9% | 3,234 | 1.1% | 904 | 0.32% | 8,568 | 2.60% | 15,272 | 4.14% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,311 | 1.00% | 3,402 | 0.92% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – | | | 904 | 0.32% | 5,257 | 1.59% | 11,870 | 3.22% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | 6,000 | 2.2% | 28,280 | 10% | 56,489 | 21.4% | 82,368 | 28.9% | 101,182 | 36.15% | 163,203 | 49.48% | 217,914 | 59.12% |
| Total | 273,470 | 100% | 284,208 | 100% | 263,598 | 100% | 284,700 | 100% | 279,921 | 100% | 329,839 | 100% | 368,571 | 100% |
Notes for table above
* ↑ New category created for the 2011 census
* ↑ New category created for the 2021 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 each ethnic group in Leicester
* White British

### Ethnicity of school pupils

The ethnicity of school pupils within Leicester has been in flux and in a majority-minority state since statistics have been first collected in 2003. For instance, the most profound change can be seen with the White British, who have declined from 45.6% in 2004 to 23.4% in 2022. Asian British school pupils have risen in percentage, going from 37.9% of the areas school pupil population to a near majority (47%). All other groups have grown in size as well. Other White school pupils have risen from 1.7% to 7.8%, Black British school pupils have risen from 6.4% to 10.4% in 2016 but then declined to 9.5% in 2022, Mixed have risen from 5.5% to 7.5% and Other ethnicities have gone from 0.8% to 2.7%.
| 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 |
| Ethnic group | 1971 | 1971 | 2004 | 2004 | 2008 | 2008 | 2012 | 2012 | 2015/16 | 2015/16 | 2021/2022 | 2021/2022 |
| Ethnic group | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| White: Total | – | 86.5% | 19,480 | 48.1% | 16,720 | 42.4% | 15,515 | 39% | 16,583 | 36.6% | 18,905 | 31.8% |
| White: British | – | – | 18,490 | 45.6% | 15,090 | 38.3% | 13,258 | 33.3% | 13,215 | 29.1% | 13,890 | 23.4% |
| White: Irish | – | – | 190 | | 133 | | 86 | | 73 | | 65 | |
| White: Traveller of Irish heritage | – | – | 70 | | 35 | | 50 | | 61 | | 47 | |
| White: Gypsy/Roma | – | – | 30 | | 30 | | 139 | | 235 | | 266 | |
| White: Other | – | – | 700 | 1.7% | 1,432 | | 1,978 | | 2,999 | | 4,637 | 7.8% |
| Asian / Asian British: Total | – | – | 15,360 | 37.9% | 15,924 | 40.4% | 16,512 | 41.5% | 19,682 | 43.4% | 27,906 | 47% |
| Asian / Asian British: Indian | – | – | 12,150 | 30% | 12,267 | 31.1% | 12,049 | 30.3% | 14,179 | 31.3% | 19,855 | 33.4% |
| Asian / Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 1,020 | | 1,227 | | 1,382 | | 1,724 | | 2,557 | |
| Asian / Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 560 | | 638 | | 826 | | 994 | | 1,617 | |
| Asian / Asian British: Chinese | – | – | 80 | | 79 | | 80 | | 113 | | 169 | |
| Asian / Asian British: Other Asians | – | – | 1,550 | 3.8% | 1,713 | | 2,175 | | 2,672 | | 3,708 | 6.2% |
| Black / Black British: Total | – | – | 2,610 | 6.4% | 3,450 | 8.7% | 4,050 | 10.2% | 4,726 | 10.4% | 5,680 | 9.5% |
| Black: Caribbean | – | – | 590 | | 534 | | 505 | | 500 | | 454 | |
| Black: African | – | – | 1,860 | 4.6% | 2,576 | | 3,130 | | 3,589 | | 4,390 | 7.4% |
| Black: Other Blacks | – | – | 160 | | 337 | | 415 | | 637 | | 836 | |
| Mixed / British Mixed | – | – | 2,230 | 5.5% | 2,440 | 6.2% | 2,730 | 6.9% | 3,082 | 6.8% | 4,457 | 7.5% |
| Other: Total | – | – | 310 | 0.8% | 534 | 1.4% | 650 | 1.6% | 910 | 2% | 1,618 | 2.7% |
| Unclassified | – | – | 570 | 1.4% | 152 | 0.4% | 312 | 0.8% | 384 | 0.8% | 833 | 1.4% |
| Non-White: Total | – | 13.5% | | 51.9% | | 57.6% | | 61% | | 63.4% | | 68.2% |
| Total: | – | 100% | 40,540 | 100% | 39,430 | 100% | 39,765 | 100% | 45,367 | 100% | 59,399 | 100% |
Ethnicity of births
| Ethnic Group | 1981 estimates | 1981 estimates | 2021 | 2021 |
| Ethnic Group | Number | % | Number | % |
| White: Total | – | 66% | 1,362 | 32.6% |
| White: British | – | – | 897 | 21.5% |
| White: Other | – | – | 465 | 11.1% |
| Asian / Asian British: Total | – | – | 1,858 | 44.6% |
| Asian / Asian British: Indian | – | – | 1,384 | 33.2% |
| Asian / Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 176 | 4.2% |
| Asian / Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 111 | 2.7% |
| Asian / Asian British: Other Asians | – | – | 187 | 4.5% |
| Black / Black British: Total | – | – | 324 | 7.7% |
| Black: Caribbean | – | – | 27 | 0.6% |
| Black: African | – | – | 258 | 6.2% |
| Black: Other Blacks | – | – | 39 | 0.9% |
| Mixed / British Mixed | – | – | 331 | 7.9% |
| Other: Total | – | – | 130 | 3.1% |
| Not Stated | – | – | 167 | 4.0% |
| Non-White: Total (not including Not stated) | – | 33% | 2,643 | 63.3% |
| Total: | – | 100% | 4,172 | 100% |

## Country of birth

| Country of Birth | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Country of Birth | 1971 | 1971 | 1981 | 1981 | 1991 | 1991 | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Country of Birth | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| United Kingdom | 242,255 | 87.4% | 223,681 | 81% | 217,656 | 80.4% | 215,455 | 77% | 218,996 | 66.4% | 217,078 | 58.9% |
| England | 234,551 | 84.6% | 216,729 | 78.5% | 212,010 | 78.4% | | | 214,403 | 65% | 213,555 | 57.9% |
| Scotland | 4,006 | | 3,708 | | 2,854 | | | | 2,330 | | 1821 | 0.49% |
| Wales | 2,243 | | 1,947 | | 1,726 | | | | 1,380 | | 1078 | 0.29% |
| Northern Ireland | 1,455 | | – | | 1,019 | | | | 781 | | 590 | 0.16% |
| United Kingdom (not otherwise specified) | | | 1,297 | | 47 | | 84 | | 102 | | 467 | 0.13% |
| Europe (non-UK) | 9,015 | 3.3% | 7,472 | 2.7% | 6,180 | 2.3% | 7,563 | 2.7% | 19,689 | 6% | 31,880 | 8.6% |
| Ireland | 4,807 | | 3,890 | | 3,099 | | 2,486 | | 1,933 | | 1,240 | 0.34% |
| Other EEC/EU | | | 1,532 | 0.6% | 1,750 | 0.6% | 3,021 | 1.1% | 15,927 | 4.8% | | |
| Other Europe | 4,208 | | 2,050 | | 1,331 | | 2,056 | | 1,829 | | 31,880 | 8.6% |
| Asia and Middle East | 12,567 | 4.5% | 20,112 | 7.3% | 23,623 | 8.7% | 30,501 | 10.9% | 55,108 | 16.7% | 79,372 | 21.5% |
| India | 11,365 | 4.1% | 18,238 | 6.6% | 20,837 | 7.7% | 24,677 | | | | 59,842 | 16.2% |
| Pakistan | 758 | | 912 | | 1,162 | | 1,854 | | | | 4,989 | 1.4% |
| Bangladesh | | | 397 | | 686 | | 1,051 | | | | 3,233 | 0.9% |
| Far East | 444 | | 565 | | 657 | | 1,751 | | | | | |
| Middle East | | | – | | 281 | | 771 | | | | | |
| Other | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | |
| Africa | 7,088 | 2.6% | 19,082 | 6.9% | 18,327 | 6.8% | 22,056 | 7.9% | 31,983 | 9.7% | 33,542 | 9.1% |
| North America and Caribbean | 2,870 | 1% | 2,550 | 0.9% | | | 2,909 | 1% | 3,545 | | 2,825 | |
| South America | | | | | | | 169 | | | | | |
| Oceania | | | – | | | | 539 | | 516 | | 447 | |
| Other: New Commonwealth | 444 | | 493 | | | | | | | | | |
| Other: Old Commonwealth | 402 | | 628 | | 455 | | | | | | | |
| Other: | 2548 | | 2,226 | | | | 645 | | 2 | | | |
| Total | 277,189 | 100% | 276,244 | 100% | 270,525 | 100% | 279,921 | 100% | 329,839 | 100% | 368,570 | 100% |

## Languages

The most common main languages spoken in Leicester according to the 2011 census are shown below. There were around over 70 languages or dialects spoken in the city in 2011.
| Rank | Language | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion |
| 1 | English | 228,295 | 72.47% |
| 2 | Gujarati | 36,347 | 11.54% |
| 3 | Punjabi | 7,560 | 2.40% |
| 4 | Polish | 6,192 | 1.97% |
| 5 | Urdu | 3,376 | 1.07% |
| 6 | Somali | 3,331 | 1.06% |
| 7 | Arabic | 2,516 | 0.80% |
| 8 | Bengali | 1,808 | 0.57% |
| 9 | Portuguese | 1,750 | 0.56% |
| 10 | Kurdish | 1,520 | 0.48% |
| 11 | Tamil | 1,498 | 0.48% |
| 12 | Hindi | 1,095 | 0.35% |
| 13 | Persian | 1,021 | 0.32% |
| 14 | Slovak | 878 | 0.28% |
| 15 | French | 849 | 0.27% |
| 16 | Shona | 801 | 0.25% |
| 17 | Turkish | 584 | 0.19% |
| 18 | Greek | 546 | 0.17% |
| 19 | Swahili/Kiswahili | 533 | 0.17% |
| 20 | Tagalog/Filipino | 496 | 0.16% |
| | Other | 14,015 | 4.45% |

## Religion

Faith in Leicester (2021)
The following table shows the religion of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 censuses in Leicester. In 2012, almost 240 individual faith groups were reported to being practised in Leicester.
| Religion | 1980s estimations | 1980s estimations | 2001 | 2001 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Religion | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Christian | – | – | 125,187 | 44.72% | 106,872 | 32.40% | 91,161 | 24.73% |
| Buddhist | – | – | 638 | 0.23% | 1,224 | 0.37% | 1,181 | 0.32% |
| Hindu | – | – | 41,248 | 14.74% | 50,087 | 15.19% | 65,821 | 17.86% |
| Jewish | – | – | 417 | 0.15% | 295 | 0.09% | 326 | 0.09% |
| Muslim | 7,000 | – | 30,885 | 11.03% | 61,440 | 18.63% | 86,443 | 23.45% |
| Sikh | – | – | 11,796 | 4.21% | 14,457 | 4.38% | 16,451 | 4.46% |
| Other religion | – | – | 1,179 | 0.42% | 1,839 | 0.56% | 2,075 | 0.56% |
| No religion | – | – | 48,789 | 17.43% | 75,280 | 22.82% | 84,607 | 22.96% |
| Religion not stated | – | – | 19,782 | 7.07% | 18,345 | 5.56% | 20,509 | 5.56% |
| Total | – | 100% | 279,921 | 100.00% | 329,839 | 100.00% | 368,574 | 100.00% |
* Christianity
* Islam
* Judaism
* Hinduism
* Sikhism
* Buddhism
* Other religion
* No religion