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At-a-glance
1.7m people born outside Britain were living in London in 2001.

25% of the city's population was born abroad, up 6% on 1991.

52% of people in Wembley were born abroad – 18,258 people.

305% rise in foreign-born people in Barking South, to 5,120 in 2001.


The story of immigration to Britain cannot be told without looking at the story of London. For centuries it has been, and remains, the first destination for most migrants to the UK.

Today, people born outside the British Isles comprise a quarter of its population and play a crucial role in the life of the city.

Figures show that had no additional foreign-born people come to live in London in the decade to 2001, its population would have fallen, rather than increased.

As of 2001, one local area – Wembley – recorded more than half of its residents being born abroad. A further four areas were home to 45% or more foreign-born people.

People living in London
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
All people 6,679,576 7,172,066 7.37 100 100 0
Born outside British Isles 1,233,328 1,779,300 44.27 18.46 24.81 6.35

Top 10 places of birth outside British Isles
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Country 1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
India 151,592 172,661 13.90 2.27 2.41 0.14
Caribbean 151,901 142,498 -6.19 2.27 1.99 -0.28
Other South & E Africa n/a 104,706 n/a n/a 1.46 n/a
Bangladesh 56,585 84,565 49.45 0.85 1.18 0.33
Nigeria 36,053 68,910 91.14 0.54 0.96 0.42
Pakistan 44,637 66,655 49.33 0.67 0.93 0.26
Kenya 57,009 66,309 16.31 0.85 0.92 0.07
Other Central & W Africa n/a 64,723 n/a n/a 0.90 n/a
Other Far East n/a 51,838 n/a n/a 0.72 n/a
Sri Lanka 25,832 49,925 93.27 0.39 0.70 0.31

Click column titles to sort table by that column.
People born outside British Isles area by area
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Sort by:
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Southwark N 7,076 16,266 129.88 17.16 31.87 14.71
Canning Town 3,631 10,888 199.86 11.86 26.31 14.45
Camberwell Green 7,728 12,074 56.24 19.28 32.96 13.68
East Ham S 12,267 22,958 87.15 23.45 36.47 13.02
Plaistow 12,378 15,257 23.26 27.69 40.23 12.54
Poplar 13,367 28,448 112.82 21.57 34.02 12.45
Bermondsey 5,371 13,652 154.18 12.04 23.81 11.77
Loxford 10,681 16,229 51.94 22.84 34.47 11.63
Upper Edmonton 8,386 15,084 79.87 22.33 33.95 11.62
Shoreditch 7,931 13,415 69.15 21.49 32.58 11.09
Forest Gate 9,511 18,122 90.54 24.12 35.13 11.01
Greenford 9,001 17,696 96.60 16.29 27.16 10.87
Wembley 18,453 18,258 -1.06 41.39 51.93 10.54
Deptford N 8,815 14,266 61.84 21.88 32.40 10.52
Bow 8,091 16,200 100.22 18.23 28.69 10.46
Leyton 10,316 15,317 48.48 23.31 33.35 10.04
Rayners Lane 10,600 16,627 56.86 22.04 32.07 10.03
Tottenham N 17,117 24,801 44.89 30.53 40.52 9.99
Barking S 1,264 5,120 305.06 3.52 13.36 9.84
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Woolwich 5,026 10,937 117.61 11.20 20.85 9.65
Greenhill 16,400 22,522 37.33 28.95 38.44 9.49
Sudbury 12,016 21,109 75.67 33.47 42.91 9.44
Acton 16,429 24,552 49.44 26.83 36.26 9.43
Canonbury 5,711 9,701 69.87 14.71 23.85 9.14
Heston 14,400 17,818 23.74 31.32 40.44 9.12
Walthamstow W 10,143 16,172 59.44 19.53 28.63 9.10
Hackney S 12,537 21,405 70.73 23.67 32.71 9.04
Vauxhall N 12,387 18,965 53.10 22.96 31.92 8.96
Seven Kings 10,892 17,320 59.02 20.41 29.10 8.69
St. Pancras 8,514 13,194 54.97 20.20 28.89 8.69
Putney W 6,432 9,784 52.11 15.85 24.43 8.58
Harlesden 13,255 15,421 16.34 31.23 39.71 8.48
Selhurst 13,298 20,803 56.44 25.13 33.53 8.40
London Central 8,541 15,282 78.93 22.72 30.98 8.26
East Ham N 17,288 23,293 34.74 38.38 46.56 8.18
Colindale 15,718 20,597 31.04 26.74 34.87 8.13
Mitcham 8,464 13,818 63.26 20.78 28.90 8.12
Isleworth 14,607 22,852 56.45 23.06 31.07 8.01
Enfield Highway 5,929 10,399 75.39 11.88 19.78 7.90
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Regent's Park 25,999 29,254 12.52 32.35 40.23 7.88
Peckham 9,491 14,644 54.29 24.23 32.05 7.82
Harlington 5,366 7,702 43.53 14.22 22.02 7.80
Harrow Weald 8,124 11,904 46.53 16.88 24.68 7.80
Norwood 10,367 15,159 46.22 18.72 26.42 7.70
Lower Edmonton 7,937 9,556 20.40 16.76 24.45 7.69
Catford 4,116 8,602 108.99 13.44 21.04 7.60
Sydenham 6,024 8,856 47.01 12.57 20.17 7.60
Putney E 6,621 9,868 49.04 17.41 24.92 7.51
Fulham 9,548 15,918 66.72 20.31 27.78 7.47
Kingston 5,739 10,436 81.84 12.10 19.53 7.43
Morden 4,416 8,221 86.16 9.99 17.39 7.40
Cricklewood 12,489 20,194 61.69 32.13 39.52 7.39
Abbey Wood 4,961 10,180 105.20 11.80 19.17 7.37
Wimbledon S 6,616 10,554 59.52 15.34 22.68 7.34
Shepherds Bush 9,621 12,663 31.62 22.99 30.31 7.32
Ealing Broadway 11,303 16,220 43.50 23.12 30.42 7.30
Holborn 10,914 20,017 83.41 29.32 36.51 7.19
Holloway 7,290 11,169 53.21 18.45 25.64 7.19
Hammersmith 14,314 20,627 44.10 24.00 31.18 7.18
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Brentford 7,711 10,599 37.45 17.99 25.14 7.15
Hayes 5,562 9,947 78.84 14.15 21.30 7.15
Queensbury 12,986 15,641 20.45 33.82 40.89 7.07
Greenwich 5,235 6,235 19.10 11.96 18.69 6.73
Pinner 7,926 11,210 41.43 16.78 23.28 6.50
Battersea W 8,060 9,444 17.17 19.04 25.51 6.47
Mill Hill 8,115 11,415 40.67 18.60 24.89 6.29
Brondesbury 13,165 18,861 43.27 30.76 37.03 6.27
Richmond S 5,788 8,628 49.07 16.70 22.95 6.25
Barkingside 5,907 8,371 41.71 12.50 18.54 6.04
Streatham S 10,031 14,478 44.33 21.93 27.97 6.04
Walthamstow E 5,663 7,742 36.71 16.76 22.76 6.00
Deptford S 6,951 9,743 40.17 18.42 24.34 5.92
Barking N 2,760 5,929 114.82 8.99 14.88 5.89
Richmond N 10,957 15,328 39.89 16.59 22.33 5.74
Southall W 25,556 30,573 19.63 41.79 47.43 5.64
Hornsey 13,930 17,578 26.19 26.75 32.38 5.63
Eltham W 1,679 4,098 144.07 4.98 10.59 5.61
West Norwood 7,678 11,847 54.30 18.07 23.67 5.60
Hainault 3,428 6,133 78.91 8.21 13.73 5.52
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Wimbledon N 8,927 12,789 43.26 22.11 27.63 5.52
Streatham N 12,038 13,934 15.75 22.16 27.63 5.47
Kensal Town 9,718 11,525 18.59 27.70 33.15 5.45
Croydon Addiscombe 7,704 11,564 50.10 14.25 19.68 5.43
Blackheath 4,678 7,755 65.78 14.86 20.21 5.35
Kilburn 13,188 14,894 12.94 29.57 34.90 5.33
Tollington 11,532 15,914 38.00 22.13 27.30 5.17
Uxbridge S 2,745 4,462 62.55 7.95 13.09 5.14
Wanstead 6,839 9,477 38.57 16.83 21.83 5.00
West Ruislip 4,378 6,113 39.63 10.81 15.81 5.00
Tottenham S 15,628 19,716 26.16 36.01 40.85 4.84
Grove Park 3,440 5,352 55.58 8.01 12.84 4.83
Dulwich 9,156 11,836 29.27 17.14 21.86 4.72
Feltham 4,307 6,820 58.35 8.25 12.97 4.72
Highgate 13,124 18,072 37.70 28.26 32.95 4.69
Surbiton 4,336 7,381 70.23 8.51 13.12 4.61
Twickenham N 5,579 8,836 58.38 10.98 15.50 4.52
Beckenham W 4,029 6,285 55.99 9.88 14.39 4.51
Vauxhall S 13,645 17,809 30.52 28.22 32.67 4.45
Barnet W 7,158 8,524 19.08 14.98 19.37 4.39
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Croydon Addington 3,955 5,627 42.28 7.29 11.59 4.30
Waddon 4,211 6,947 64.97 9.12 13.39 4.27
Sutton 3,646 6,258 71.64 8.76 12.96 4.20
Stoke Newington 12,400 17,241 39.04 27.34 31.51 4.17
Cockfosters 5,407 9,028 66.97 14.51 18.59 4.08
Enfield Town 3,128 4,735 51.37 8.09 12.17 4.08
Stepney 18,004 20,568 14.24 32.91 36.71 3.80
Southall E 10,589 12,830 21.16 21.74 25.51 3.77
Tooting W 5,742 8,227 43.28 16.84 20.57 3.73
Barnet E 6,617 8,579 29.65 15.54 19.17 3.63
Woodford Green 2,465 4,182 69.66 6.89 10.50 3.61
Hackney N 13,283 13,411 0.96 28.87 32.33 3.46
Twickenham S 4,017 5,856 45.78 9.15 12.55 3.40
Dagenham W 1,349 2,585 91.62 3.66 7.04 3.38
Battersea E 8,526 11,509 34.99 19.36 22.72 3.36
Chelsea 20,464 26,429 29.15 39.78 43.09 3.31
Bexleyheath 1,866 3,961 112.27 4.18 7.46 3.28
Highbury 7,625 8,496 11.42 22.27 25.51 3.24
Chingford 2,903 4,098 41.16 6.79 10.02 3.23
Tooting E 13,699 15,208 11.02 25.68 28.68 3.00
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Coulsdon 4,674 6,334 35.52 9.22 12.19 2.97
Palmers Green 11,964 14,263 19.22 25.65 28.52 2.87
Wallington 3,464 4,878 40.82 6.99 9.82 2.83
Cheam 2,739 3,976 45.16 7.12 9.93 2.81
Kensington 22,287 28,757 29.03 42.97 45.77 2.80
Golders Green 14,281 17,608 23.30 33.75 36.50 2.75
Beckenham E 3,802 5,127 34.85 7.07 9.75 2.68
Carshalton 2,122 3,335 57.16 5.41 7.99 2.58
Uxbridge N 3,682 5,044 36.99 8.86 11.43 2.57
Finchley 16,006 21,694 35.54 27.35 29.87 2.52
Dagenham E 1,487 2,918 96.23 3.70 5.95 2.25
Chislehurst 4,063 5,179 27.47 7.65 9.75 2.10
Erith 4,182 4,588 9.71 8.88 10.97 2.09
Orpington E 1,001 2,460 145.75 3.39 5.48 2.09
Hyde Park 28,243 32,128 13.76 46.31 48.37 2.06
East Ruislip 3,273 4,646 41.95 8.62 10.45 1.83
Eltham E 3,639 3,743 2.86 8.42 10.18 1.76
Sidcup 2,071 2,469 19.22 4.45 6.12 1.67
Bromley 2,510 3,539 41.00 6.49 8.12 1.63
Romford E 1,447 2,001 38.29 3.83 5.29 1.46
TOTAL NUMBERS AS % OF ALL PEOPLE
Area
1991 2001 +/- % 1991 2001 +/- %
Upminster N 1,017 1,473 44.84 2.55 3.90 1.35
Fortis Green 10,937 12,073 10.39 21.59 22.88 1.29
Upminster S 1,044 1,536 47.13 3.09 4.23 1.14
Crayford 1,451 1,526 5.17 3.89 4.93 1.04
Orpington W 3,560 3,343 -6.10 4.76 5.79 1.03
Rainham 1,144 1,652 44.41 3.46 4.49 1.03
East Wickham 1,871 2,853 52.49 4.68 5.48 0.80
Romford W 1,458 1,682 15.36 3.63 4.43 0.80
Hacton 1,549 1,476 -4.71 3.45 3.92 0.47
Can't find where you live? We have included every area but limitations with the data mean some names may not exactly match those familiar to you. If your first choice is not there, try other local names. For more details, read Your questions answered.
 
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