What percentage of the UK population identifies as Muslim as of 2025?

1. The headline number: about 6% of the UK identifies as Muslim

The Muslim Council of Britain’s “British Muslims in Numbers: Census Report Summary 2025” presents the Muslim population as “6% of overall population” for Britain and gives component figures such as England 6.7%, Scotland 2.2%, Wales 2.2% and Northern Ireland 0.6% ^{[1] [2]}. Those summaries are the clearest directly reported percentages in the provided material and are the basis for the ~6% headline.

2. Where that number comes from — census counts and reporting organizations

The MCB summary explicitly links its figures to census reporting and presents time-series context (1.6 million in 2001, 2.8 million in 2011, 4.0 million in 2021, and the 2025 summary stating a 6% share) ^{[1] [2]}. The MCB’s materials synthesize Office for National Statistics (ONS) results for England & Wales and add breakdowns by UK nation; the summary is the provided source for the 6% estimate ^[2].

3. Geographic concentration and demographic context matter

Reporting emphasizes that the UK Muslim population is unevenly distributed: large concentrations are in major cities and some local authorities, while many parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have much smaller Muslim shares (the MCB summary lists specific rates by nation) ^{[1] [2]}. Other public data sources cited in broader reporting note similar uneven distribution and a young age profile, which drives different local needs and projected growth paths ^{[1] [3]}.

4. Forecasts and longer-term projections differ from the current share

Analysts such as Statista and demographic studies project larger Muslim shares in future decades (for example, some projections suggested rising shares across Europe and the UK by mid-century); Statista cites a wider Europe/UK projection rise from 6.3% in 2016 toward notably higher percentages by 2050 in some scenarios ^[3]. These are model-based forecasts and are distinct from the census-derived ~6% snapshot cited in 2025 summaries ^[3].

5. Alternate indicators and public opinion research don’t change the share figure

Other 2025 reporting cited in the provided material (for example, studies about public attitudes toward Islam) do not provide a different percentage of the population who identify as Muslim; they instead examine attitudes, perceived social climate and related issues ^[4]. The Wikipedia summary references social-attitude polling (e.g., a 2025 Ipsos/Commission for Countering Extremism poll) but does not replace the census-based population share ^[4].

6. Limitations, caveats and what the available sources do not say

The provided materials are summaries and secondary reports: they do not include the raw ONS 2021 microdata tables or a separate 2025 government census release in full within these documents to independently verify small numeric differences (available sources do not mention a distinct official 2025 census percentage beyond the MCB summary) ^{[1] [2]}. Some outlets and forecast models present divergent long-term scenarios ^[3], and attitude polls cited elsewhere address perceptions not demographic counts ^[4].

7. Bottom line for your question

Based on the reporting assembled in the Muslim Council of Britain’s 2025 census summary and related summaries, about 6% of the UK population identifies as Muslim, with England at about 6.7% and much lower percentages in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; longer-term projections and local variation complicate the picture but do not change the cited ~6% figure in these sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}.