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Fact check: What percentage of immigrants in England are muslims
Executive Summary
The most reliable synthesis of the provided analyses is that Muslims make up roughly 6–6.7% of the population in England (about 3.9 million in England and Wales in 2021 census-derived counts), but the sources do not directly state the percentage of immigrants in England who are Muslim; they report the share of Muslims in the population and discuss socio-economic patterns among British Muslims. The figures cited come from census and community analyses published around 2022–2025 and reflect population share and distribution rather than a direct breakdown of immigrants by religion [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Why the original question and evidence point in different directions — population share versus immigrant composition
The user asked about the percentage of immigrants in England who are Muslims, but the supplied analyses primarily report the share of Muslims in the total population and the absolute Muslim population in England and Wales (about 3.87–3.9 million, roughly 6–6.7% of the population). Census-derived summaries and NGO analyses emphasize overall Muslim population size and distribution, not the religious makeup of recent immigrants specifically; this distinction matters because population share and immigrant composition are different measures and the available materials only support the former [2] [3] [4].
2. What the census and community reports actually say about Muslim numbers and distribution
Multiple items draw on 2021 census outputs or consolidated estimates to state that the Muslim population in England and Wales is around 3.87–3.9 million, equivalent to roughly 6–6.7% of the population, and that a substantial share live in the most deprived areas. The Muslim Council of Britain and related census summaries present these figures and highlight a youthful median age and geographic concentration, using 2021 census data and subsequent reports published in 2022 and 2025 to underline growth and dispersion trends [3] [2] [4].
3. Why the immigrant-specific percentage is missing from these sources
None of the supplied analyses include a direct estimate of the percentage of immigrants who are Muslim in England. Surveys cited (YouGov, public opinion pieces) focus on attitudes toward Muslim immigrants rather than measuring immigrant religious composition, and the community and census briefs prioritize population counts and deprivation indicators. Therefore, while we can state the Muslim share of the resident population from these sources, they do not provide the data needed to calculate the share of the immigrant cohort that identifies as Muslim [5] [6] [7] [8].
4. Conflicting emphases and possible agendas in the supplied materials
The materials show distinct emphases: census and Muslim Council reports aim to document demographic size, socio-economic deprivation, and youthful profile [4] [3], while media and public-opinion pieces highlight public concern and Islamophobia, reporting that around 41% of Britons view Muslim immigrants negatively. Those opinion pieces may be driven by political narratives about immigration and social cohesion; the community reports are framed to highlight needs and policy responses. The differences suggest different agendas: demographic documentation versus advocacy or political commentary [5] [6] [7] [4].
5. How dates and sources affect confidence in the numbers
The census-based figures derive from 2021 census counting and were summarized in reports released in late 2022 and reinterpreted by community organisations in 2025; these are the most recent population-count sources cited and provide the strongest basis for the 6–6.7% estimate. Opinion and survey pieces with dates in 2025 reflect contemporaneous public attitudes but not demographic composition. Because the demographic numbers are census-rooted [9] and reinforced by 2022–2025 analyses, confidence in the Muslim share of the resident population is higher than in any claim about the religious breakdown of immigrants, which is absent here [3] [2] [4] [5].
6. What is missing if you want the exact immigrant share who are Muslim — and where to look
To answer the original question precisely—what percent of immigrants in England are Muslim—one needs cross-tabulated data linking migration status (country of birth or year of arrival) with religion from the census or a similar large-scale survey. The supplied analyses do not include those cross-tabulations. The census microdata or detailed tables, immigration statistics broken down by religion, or academic analyses that merge migration and religion variables would be required; none of the provided items supply that linkage [8] [3] [1].
7. Bottom line and recommended next steps for a precise figure
Bottom line: the supplied sources support the statement that Muslims form about 6–6.7% of the population in England/England & Wales (roughly 3.87–3.9 million people), but they do not answer what percentage of immigrants are Muslim. To get the precise immigrant-share-by-religion figure, request census cross-tabulations or immigration statistics that directly pair religion with migrant status; without those tables, any claim about the percentage of immigrants who are Muslim would be unsupported by the provided evidence [2] [3] [5].