What is the percentage of ethnic people living in london
Executive summary
London is a majority‑minority city: roughly 46% of Londoners are from non‑white ethnic groups according to multiple syntheses of the 2021 census and recent estimates, a sharp rise from 2011 when the white population was about 69.7% in the capital (implying ~30% non‑white then) [1] [2]. Different official and analytic sources frame this figure as “Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)”, “non‑white”, or “not White British/Irish,” so headline percentages vary depending on definition and year [3] [4].
1. What the question actually asks — defining “ethnic people” matters
“Percentage of ethnic people” is ambiguous: some datasets treat “ethnic” as everyone not identifying as White British/White Irish, others use broader groupings (White other included or excluded), and some reports use the term BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) which historically means non‑white; the Trust for London and GOV.UK frames use comparable aggregated definitions to report BME/non‑white percentages for London [3] [5].
2. The short, sourced answer — roughly 46% non‑white / BME in London
Contemporary summaries that draw on the 2021 census and GLA estimates put the non‑white (BME) share at about 46% of London’s population — for example Population Pie’s 2025/2026 restatement of 2021 census breakdowns shows White 53.8% and the remainder (Asian 20.7%, Black 13.5%, Mixed 5.7%, Other 6.3%) adding up to ~46.2% non‑white [1]. Trust for London likewise reports 46% of Londoners are BME compared with 14% for England as a whole, citing ONS sources [3].
3. How that compares to earlier counts — a rapid shift over a decade
The change is stark: in 2011 London’s white share was much higher (WorldPopulationReview recorded white at about 69.7% in 2011), which implied roughly 30% non‑white then, and by 2021 the white share fell below half in many official tabulations — establishing London as a majority‑minority city [2] [6]. Wikipedia and other syntheses note the 2021 census found over 3.5 million foreign‑born residents (about 40.7%), underscoring that immigration and demographic change are principal drivers [6] [7].
4. It’s not uniform across the city — boroughs and sub‑regions differ
Ethnic composition varies sharply by borough and sub‑region: West London and East London have the highest proportions of BME residents (West ~53%, East ~50%), while South London shows the smallest proportion among sub‑regions (around 36%) per Trust for London’s mapping of ONS data; some boroughs like Waltham Forest report local non‑white shares of roughly 64%, while London overall is reported at about 61% non‑White British/Irish in some borough‑level health profiles that cite 2021 census breakdowns [3] [4].
5. Why numbers differ — methodology, groupings and timeliness
Apparent contradictions across sources reflect differences in definitions (e.g., “non‑white” vs “not White British/Irish” vs “BME”), the year quoted (2011 vs 2021 vs mid‑year ONS estimates), and whether figures report Greater London, the urban agglomeration, or sub‑regions; official GOV.UK tables caution that “ethnic diversity” is defined as percent not from the white ethnic group, and regional spreadsheets show London leading other UK regions on mixed and non‑white shares [5]. Projections and secondary aggregations (e.g., London Datastore projections or third‑party sites) add modeling choices that change headline percentages [8] [9].
6. What can be concluded and what remains uncertain
The responsible, evidence‑based conclusion is that roughly 45–46% of Londoners belong to ethnic groups other than white (BME/non‑white) using 2021 census‑based tabulations and recent ONS/GLA summaries, with strong spatial variation across boroughs and continuing change driven by migration and demographic trends [1] [3] [6]. Reporting gaps remain: sources differ in exact labels and cut‑offs, and updates between the 2021 census and 2024–2026 mid‑year estimates mean the precise current share could shift slightly — the cited sources provide the best publicly available snapshots rather than a single definitive “percentage today” [3] [8].