How has the Muslim population in Manchester changed since the 2011 census?
Executive summary
Manchester’s Muslim population rose markedly between the 2011 and 2021 censuses: the city recorded 122,962 residents identifying as Muslim in 2021, a net increase of 43,690 people compared with 2011, making Muslims one of the fastest-growing religious groups in the city [1] [2]. That growth has altered Manchester’s religious makeup, occurring alongside a large decline in those identifying as Christian and a rise in people stating no religion [3] [1].
1. The headline numbers: raw growth and city share
Census returns show Manchester had 122,962 Muslims in 2021; local reporting and the city’s own census summary describe this as a significant rise from 2011 and quantify the decade-on-decade increase as 43,690 Muslim residents [1] [2]. Multiple summaries place Manchester among the UK local authorities with the largest Muslim populations in 2021, with the Muslim Council of Britain noting Manchester’s figure alongside other high-population areas [4].
2. Share of the city: percent figures and conflicting summaries
Sources vary on the exact percentage that 122,962 represents of Manchester’s total population, with several references calculating the Muslim share at roughly 22.3% in 2021 while other compilations give lower figures (for example, some third‑party sites list 15.8% or 24.7%) — the discrepancy reflects differences in which denominators or rounding are used and the occasional third‑party reinterpretation of ONS releases [5] [6] [7]. Manchester City Council’s own overview stresses the absolute increase rather than a single headline percentage, and ONS visualisations remain the primary source for precise percentage-point changes between 2011 and 2021 [3] [8].
3. Geography of change: wards and concentrations
The rise has not been evenly distributed across the city: the 2011–2021 analysis highlights particularly high concentrations in wards such as Cheetham and Longsight, and notes that several wards experienced the largest absolute increases in Muslim residents — in some cases ward-level increases exceeded 5,000 people [2]. The council’s ward-level commentary and ONS small-area tools indicate the growth both intensified in established communities and spread into adjacent neighbourhoods [2] [8].
4. Context: how local growth fits national trends
Manchester’s gain mirrors national patterns: between 2011 and 2021 the Muslim population of England and Wales rose by about 1.16 million to 3.87 million, contributing roughly a third of total population growth in that decade, and the Muslim Council of Britain highlights dispersal of Muslim communities beyond a few conurbations [4]. That national expansion reflects a mix of younger age profiles, higher birth rates and migration — factors the MCB flags in its initial analysis — though local dynamics in Manchester (housing, employment and local migration) also shaped the city-level changes [4].
5. What shifted around it: Christians down, no religion up
The rise in Muslim-identifying residents occurred alongside a pronounced fall in people recording Christianity (from 245,247 in 2011 to 199,873 in 2021) and a large increase in those declaring no religion (179,037 in 2021), changes the city summary presents as part of a broader religious realignment across Manchester [1] [3]. These simultaneous movements mean the city’s religious profile changed both by growth of Muslim communities and by shifting identities among other groups [1] [3].
6. Limits, inconsistencies and editorial frames
Reporting choices and secondary data sites produce inconsistent percentages and headlines: Manchester City Council and ONS visualisations give authoritative counts and trend lines [1] [8], while several private or aggregated demographic sites recalc percentages differently, producing divergent summaries of the Muslim share [6] [7]. The Muslim Council of Britain frames the growth as part of national dispersal and demographic renewal, which serves advocacy aims to spotlight community needs; local council reporting emphasizes ward-level detail useful for planning [4] [1]. Where sources disagree on percentages, the underlying ONS/Manchester council counts should be treated as primary.
7. Bottom line
Between 2011 and 2021 Manchester saw a clear, large increase in residents identifying as Muslim — an absolute rise of about 43,690 to 122,962 people — concentrated in established Muslim areas and contributing materially to the city’s altered religious landscape, even as Christians declined and “no religion” rose [2] [1] [3]. For precise percentage-point changes and ward-level breakdowns, the ONS/Manchester City Council census releases are the definitive references [8] [1].