Census 2021 - Identity Summary
Ethnicity
The majority of Manchester's residents (313,630) identify with the White ethnic group (57%) followed by the Asian ethnic group (115,113, 21%) and the Black ethnic group (65,891, 12%).
A 21,479 decrease in residents identifying as White (-6%) and increases of 5,860 in residents selecting Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups and 12,887 selecting Other ethnic group has occurred since Census 2011. This is because many residents identify with one or more ethnic groups that have not been included in the options provided in the Census so have written in their ethnicity.
This table outlines the main ethnic groups in Manchester.
| Ethnic Group | Number of residents |
|---|---|
| Asian/Asian British | 115,113 |
| Black/Black British | 65,891 |
| Mixed | 29,021 |
| Other ethnic group | 28,274 |
| White | 313,630 |
Language
After English (434,289 residents aged 3+), the most common language spoken is Urdu (17,572) then Arabic (10,425). In 2011, 13,095 residents spoke Urdu and 7,037 Arabic.
This table outlines the top 10 languages spoken in Manchester after English.
| Main language | Number of residents |
|---|---|
| English (and Welsh if in Wales) | 434,289 |
| Urdu | 17,572 |
| Arabic | 10,425 |
| Polish | 6,471 |
| Panjabi | 4,591 |
| Spanish | 4,032 |
| Bengali (with Sylheti and Chatgaya) | 3,367 |
| Portuguese | 3,239 |
| Italian | 3,142 |
| Romanian | 2,834 |
| Persian or Farse | 2,580 |
Religion
199,873 residents are recorded as Christian, a decrease from 245,247 in 2011 while those stating no religion 179,037, and Muslim 122,962 rose significantly.
This table outlines the top 5 religions followed in Manchester.
| Religion | Number of residents |
|---|---|
| Christian | 199,873 |
| No religion | 179,037 |
| Muslim | 122,962 |
| Not answered | 32,713 |
| Hindu | 6,048 |