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Fact check: How do Muslim population concentrations vary across different regions of England?
Executive Summary
England’s Muslim population is concentrated heavily in London and other metropolitan regions—particularly the West Midlands, North West, and Yorkshire—comprising about 6.5% of England and Wales and totaling roughly 3.87 million in 2021. Census-derived reports and community analyses also show rapid growth since 2011 and a strong overlap between Muslim residency and areas of high deprivation and unemployment [1] [2] [3].
1. What the data claims and why it matters: clear takeaways from census and reports
Analyses of Census 2021 and subsequent reports make three clear, linked claims: London hosts the largest Muslim population in England and Wales; other regional concentrations include the West Midlands, North West, and Yorkshire; and the Muslim population grew substantially between 2011 and 2021. Statista’s 2025 regional breakdown reiterates London’s primacy and highlights large Muslim populations in the West Midlands, North West, and Yorkshire, aligning with Census summaries that place Muslims at 6.5% of the population [1] [2]. The Muslim Council of Britain’s first-look work underscores the scale of growth—Muslims accounted for a third of the UK’s population increase from 2011 to 2021—making geographic concentration consequential for local services, political representation, and community-targeted policy [3]. These facts frame the rest of the analysis and explain why regional patterns matter for planning and social policy.
2. Where Muslims are concentrated: urban cores, regional hubs, and the map that emerges
The evidence points to a pattern of urban concentration with notable regional hubs beyond London. City-level reporting and demographic overviews repeatedly name Birmingham, Bradford, and other northern urban centres alongside London as focal points for larger Muslim communities, reflecting historic migration, family networks, and economic opportunity [4] [1]. Statista’s 2025 regional data confirms the West Midlands and North West as regions with significant Muslim shares, consistent with census-derived regional snapshots that combine to show roughly 3.87 million Muslims across England and Wales in 2021 [1] [2]. This urban and regional hub pattern helps explain why local authorities in those areas face concentrated demands for cultural, educational, and welfare services, and why political and civic engagement strategies vary markedly by region.
3. Socioeconomic overlay: deprivation and unemployment are prominent themes
Multiple sources emphasize a disproportionate share of Muslim residents living in deprived areas and experiencing higher unemployment, which reframes concentration as both demographic and socioeconomic. The Muslim Council of Britain’s summaries and related analyses report that around 39–40% of Muslims live in the most deprived fifth of local authority districts and that a large share are in areas with high unemployment, indicating structural disadvantage that overlaps spatially with concentration [5] [2]. These findings are reinforced by community reports noting higher youth unemployment and barriers to economic mobility within many Muslim-majority neighbourhoods [5]. The concentration of disadvantage has implications for educational attainment, health outcomes, and crime and policing strategies, and it creates pressure points for local authorities and charities focused on targeted interventions.
4. Growth dynamics: rapid increase between 2011 and 2021 and demographic momentum
Census comparisons show rapid growth in the Muslim population over a single decade, rising from about 2.71 million in 2011 to 3.87 million in 2021—one of the fastest-growing religious populations nationally and responsible for a substantial share of overall population growth [3] [2]. This growth amplifies the geographic patterns described: as population numbers increase, established hubs expand and secondary towns see rising Muslim presence. Community reports and demographic summaries also note internal diversity—Sunni majorities alongside Shia and other groups—and highlight that demographic momentum, a younger age profile, and higher fertility rates in some communities contribute to continued growth [6]. The growth trajectory makes the mapping of concentrations a moving target for policy, electoral forecasting, and service provision.
5. Conflicting narratives, data gaps, and what to watch next
Sources converge on major points but reveal differences of emphasis and gaps that matter for interpretation. Official census summaries and Statista emphasize geographic counts and growth [2] [1], while community-organized analyses stress socioeconomic disadvantage and lived experience [5] [7]. Some secondary articles broaden the narrative to include historical contributions and discrimination experiences, which add context but are less precise on geographic statistics [8] [4]. Key limitations include reliance on 2021 census snapshots for regional detail, variation in how deprivation is measured across reports, and uneven city-level granularity outside headline hubs. For ongoing accuracy, monitor local authority-level census releases, targeted FOI data, and community surveys that update unemployment and deprivation metrics—these will show whether concentration patterns and associated socioeconomic disparities widen or narrow over time [9] [5].