Indians are largest ethnic group in UK

London, Oct 6: People of Indian origin are the largest ethnic group in the UK, numbering 1.1 million or two per cent of the total population of over 60 million, according to a census study published today.

More than 40 per cent of Indians live in London and 30 per cent in the West and East Midlands. Among the Indian population 76 per cent own homes in Britain while 66 per cent of whites own homes. In 2001, a third of British Indians came from India, 13 per cent from East Africa and 46 per cent from Britain.

Hindus are the largest religious group, with 45 per cent of the population, followed by Sikhs at 30 per cent. Most British Indians are aged between 20 and 50 years, with only seven per cent over 65 years of age, the study added.

British Pakistanis are the second biggest ethnic group. They are concentrated in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and London. Fifteen per cent of people in Bradford, 13 per cent in Pendle, Lancashire, and 11 per cent of people in Birmingham are Pakistani.

The study said many Pakistani immigrants come from rural areas and as such tended to have fewer skills than Indian immigrants. More than 90 per cent of British Pakistanis are Muslim.

The population is young, with 35 per cent under 16 years and four per cent aged over 65. Two-fifths of British Pakistani women have never worked or are long-term unemployed.

Overall, the ethnic minority population in 2001 was 4.6 million or seven per cent of the total population. More than 41 million said they were Christian, with the second biggest group being 8.5 million who claimed no faith. Muslims accounted for 1.5 million, of whom 60,000 were white British Muslims.

Bangladeshis are the largest new minority, numbering 282,000.

Mass immigration began in the 1960s but increased after 1971. By 2001, 46 per cent of the Bangladeshi community had been born in Britain.

Half the Bangladeshi population lives in London, mainly in the East End, but there are many in the West Midlands and also in the North West of England. Nine out of 10 Bangladeshis are Muslim and almost 40 per cent are aged under 16.

British Bangladeshis are least likely to be in managerial or professional jobs and half of British Bangladesh are women who have never worked or are long-term unemployed.

The borough of Harrow had the highest religious diversity, leading to an almost 66 per cent chance that two people at random would belong to a different faith. The major religious group in Harrow was Christian, which made up 47 per cent of the population followed by 20 per cent Hindu, seven per cent Muslim and six per cent Jewish.

UNI