What % of london is muslim

1. The baseline: what official past censuses say and why they matter

The clearest hard benchmark commonly cited is the 2011 UK census, which recorded 12.39% of Londoners identifying as Muslim, a figure that remains a foundational reference point for journalists and researchers ^[1]; earlier work shows a much smaller share in 2001—about 8.5%—illustrating rapid growth over two decades ^[2]. Census data are the most authoritative because they are population-wide counts, but they are released infrequently and therefore lag contemporary demographic change ^[5].

2. Recent estimates and how they change the headline percentage

Post-2011 reporting and regional estimates point to a larger Muslim population in London: a 2019 ONS-derived estimate compiled by Statista put the Muslim population in London at roughly 1.28 million—more than any other English region—while London’s total population in the 2021 census was reported at about 8.8 million, which together imply a citywide Muslim share around 14–15% if the two figures are paired ^{[3] [4]}. This blended approach is imperfect because population denominators and religious-identification numerators come from different years and estimation methods, but it signals growth beyond the 2011 baseline ^{[1] [3]}.

3. Why published percentages diverge: definitions, boundaries and timing

Different outlets emphasize different numbers because they rely on distinct sources—2011 census snapshots, estimates for 2019, mid-year population updates for 2021–2026, or analyses by community groups—and because "London" can be defined as Greater London, the urban agglomeration, or a wider metropolitan area, altering both the numerator and denominator ^{[4] [1] [3]}. Interactive ONS census maps make this explicit: local borough-level variation is large, so borough-referenced percentages (e.g., Tower Hamlets, Newham) can be far higher than the city average ^{[5] [6]}.

4. Where Muslims in London are concentrated and what that means for the city average

Multiple sources note significant clustering: Bangladeshi, Pakistani and other communities concentrate in east and inner London boroughs such as Tower Hamlets and Newham, making those wards far above the citywide mean and shaping public perceptions of London’s religious demography ^{[6] [7]}. The presence of about 1,500 mosques and Islamic prayer rooms reported in or around London as of 2016 underlines the density of observant communities in parts of the capital, even if citywide averages smooth over this local intensity ^[7].

5. Projections, advocacy figures and the need for caution

Some reports and advocacy groups present rounder, headline-grabbing numbers—claims that London is "about 15% Muslim" or that the Muslim population has "crossed 4 million" nationally—reflecting projections, extrapolations or different measurement frames ^{[8] [9]}. These figures can be useful signposts but should be treated as estimates unless matched to a contemporaneous, published ONS census or official population release; the ONS’s 2021 interactive tools remain the primary route to borough-level verification ^{[5] [9]}.

Conclusion

The safest, evidence-grounded statement is that London’s Muslim share has risen substantially since 2001, was about 12.4% in 2011, and—based on later region and population estimates—likely sits in the low-to-mid teens (roughly 13–15%) in recent years, with considerable local variation across boroughs; precise, up-to-date percentages require direct ONS outputs combining 2021 religious-id data and mid-year population estimates ^{[1] [3] [4] [5]}.