What was the Muslim population percentage in England and Wales in the 2021 Census?

1. The headline figure: what the census actually recorded

The Office for National Statistics’ 2021 religion data — as reported by multiple organisations that analysed the census release — shows about 3.9 million people in England and Wales described themselves as Muslim in 2021, representing 6.5% of the combined population of England and Wales (population 59.60 million) ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The Muslim Council of Britain’s initial analysis and independent outlets repeat the 3.87–3.9 million count and the 6.5% share ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Why some sources give slightly different percentages

Some coverage separates England from Wales: for example, summaries note Muslims are about 6.4% of England’s population and about 2.1% of Wales’ population — figures that produce slightly different percentages if you quote England-only or Wales-only numbers versus the combined England & Wales total ^{[4] [5]}. Wikipedia and other secondary summaries sometimes round or report alternative derived percentages (for example, 6.7% for England in one entry), which explains apparent discrepancies between sources ^{[6] [5]}.

3. How much growth occurred since 2011

The Muslim population rose sharply between censuses: from about 2.7 million (4.9%) in 2011 to about 3.9 million (6.5%) in 2021 — a rise of roughly 1.2 million people or about 44% ^{[2] [7] [8]}. Analysts note this growth accounts for a significant portion of England and Wales’ population increase in the decade ^[7].

4. Age profile and demographic context

Census-derived analysis highlights that Muslims are a younger group on average: the average age for people identifying as Muslim was notably lower than the overall population, and 84.5% of Muslims were under 50 in 2021, a much younger profile than for many other religious groups ^[9]. That age structure matters for future population trends (fertility, schooling, workforce participation) and helps explain continued growth beyond migration alone ^{[9] [7]}.

5. Geography and concentration: where Muslims live

Muslim populations remain concentrated in certain urban areas — Tower Hamlets in London had the highest local share (near 40%), and other boroughs and towns such as Blackburn with Darwen and Newham recorded very high local percentages — but the census also showed some dispersal away from traditional urban centres ^{[7] [10]}. Local variation means national percentages hide substantial regional differences ^[7].

6. Socioeconomic findings tied to the religious breakdown

Analysts and community groups emphasised that the census figures reveal socioeconomic challenges: a large share of Muslims live in the most deprived local authority areas and the Muslim Council of Britain and other commentators have highlighted issues such as lower employment rates and higher deprivation among Muslim communities ^{[1] [7] [11]}. Reports cite that around 39–40% of Muslims live in the most deprived fifth of areas in England and Wales ^{[12] [11]}.

7. How to interpret small reporting differences and rounding

Rounding, whether a source reports England-only versus England & Wales, and whether a writer cites the exact ONS tables or downstream analyses (MCB, Islam Channel, BBC, Guardian) can explain minor percentage differences (for example, 6.4%, 6.5%, 6.7%). The consistent common denominator across official commentary is ~3.9 million Muslims and a 6.5% share for England & Wales combined in 2021 ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

8. Takeaway for readers and policymakers

The clear, sourced takeaway: England and Wales had about 3.9 million people identifying as Muslim in 2021 — about 6.5% of the combined population — and that population is younger, growing faster than many groups, regionally concentrated, and disproportionately represented in more deprived areas, which has implications for service planning and policy interventions ^{[1] [9] [11]}. Available sources do not mention policy responses in detail beyond calls for action from community groups and analysts ^[11].