Which UK regions and cities have the highest concentrations of Muslim residents?
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Executive summary
The highest concentrations of Muslim residents in the UK are concentrated in large urban centres — foremost among them London, Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Leicester — with notable municipal-level peaks such as Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge, Luton and Oldham [1][2][3]. National and local data sources (ONS census tools and earlier ONS estimates compiled by Statista) show Birmingham had the largest single local-authority Muslim population in 2016 and that the densest shares are clustered in specific wards and boroughs rather than evenly spread across regions [4][5].
1. Big-picture urban map: capital and major cities dominate
The capital contains the largest absolute number of Muslim residents and is repeatedly identified as the national focal point for Britain’s Muslim population — London alone is routinely cited as having the biggest and most diverse Muslim population of any UK city [6][1]; supplementary national datasets and interactive ONS census maps allow users to see these concentrations at neighbourhood level [5]. Other major cities routinely named across reporting and demographic summaries as having very large Muslim communities include Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Leicester, reflecting historical migration and settlement patterns [1][2].
2. City leaders by absolute numbers and local authority data
An ONS-derived listing compiled by Statista estimated that, in 2016, Birmingham had the largest Muslim population of any single local authority in England and Wales, at roughly 280,000 people — a reminder that absolute counts and local-authority boundaries matter when ranking places [4]. London’s overall Muslim share is often quoted around the mid-teens percentage-wise in popular reporting, underlining that large city populations produce both high totals and notable percentages in different boroughs [6][7].
3. Neighbourhood and borough hotspots: where Muslims form local majorities or high shares
Multiple sources point to specific London boroughs and other towns where Muslim residents are heavily concentrated: within London, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge are repeatedly identified as centres for large Bangladeshi and wider Muslim communities, while outside the capital places such as Luton, Oldham and Bradford are named as having concentrated Muslim populations tied to long-standing migration histories [3][2]. The ONS census maps let researchers drill down to ward level to see where Muslim identity reaches very high shares, which can diverge sharply from a city’s overall average [5].
4. Regional patterns and historical drivers
Regions with the most prominent Muslim populations align with the Midlands and large northern metropolitan areas as well as London: West Midlands (Birmingham and nearby towns), Yorkshire (Bradford, parts of Leeds) and Greater Manchester are emphasised in multiple pieces as regions with dense Muslim communities, reflecting post-war labour migration routes, family networks and once-industrial job markets that attracted South Asian settlers and later arrivals [2][1][3]. Reporting and summaries also point to ethnic composition within those communities — for example a sizeable Bangladeshi presence concentrated in specific London boroughs [3].
5. Data limits, trends and competing narratives
Public reporting and secondary aggregators cite both census tools and older estimates; the most granular, authoritative source for local concentrations remains the ONS census data and its interactive maps [5], while some media or community pieces publish newer 2025 summaries that echo long-standing lists of top cities but may use different years or definitions [2][1]. Projections about future Muslim population shares originate in studies such as Pew and broader demographic commentary — these offer scenarios rather than firm outcomes and should be treated as forecasts, not current counts [8]. Where sources disagree on rankings, differences usually stem from whether a ranking uses absolute numbers, percentage share of local population, or year of estimate [4][6].
6. What the geography implies for policy and everyday life
Concentrations in particular boroughs and cities make Muslim communities central to local economies, civic life and social services in those places, and they explain why interfaith and community programmes, mosque networks and politically engaged local leadership feature prominently in city-level reporting [2]. Precise policy responses, planning and public debate depend on whether attention is paid to absolute population, percentage share, or neighbourhood-level intensity — all three perspectives are visible across the sources reviewed [4][5][2].