2021 Census: British Muslims – Striving for Fairness

This briefing from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is the second in a series of reports on the demographic and socioeconomic profile of Muslims in England and Wales, drawing on Census data from 2021, 2011 and 2001. It is a continuing story of life in deprived neighbourhoods with opportunities limited to lower-tier albeit essential jobs. Given the strides made by the community in higher education and the commitment to a British identity, the need of the hour is a fair deal to overcome entrenched inequalities.

• The proportion of Muslims in England and Wales aged under 16 is almost double that of the overall population. The majority of Muslims in England and Wales (51%) are British born, most identify as British (75%) and for over 90% of Muslims, English is their main language or spoken fluently.
• The Muslims population is ethnically diverse, whilst the largest numbers draw from South Asian and African ethnicities, it is spread across all ethnic groups including the Roma and Traveller communities.
• Educational attainment is rising, with 32.3% of Muslims having a degree level qualification in 2021, up from 24.0% in 2011. This increase is driven largely by greater numbers of Muslim women participating in higher education.
• A Muslim newborn baby has almost three times the chance to be born into the most deprived (10%) local authorities in England and less than
  a quarter of the chance to live in the most affluent (10%) local authorities in England as compared to other newborns.
• On measures of social mobility such as occupational classification, Muslims have not progressed at the same rate as the general population
  over the past decade. This is noticeable in the ‘higher echelon’ jobs.
• The Muslim population is largely concentrated in deprived parts of urban centres. The MCB hopes that these areas can feature more prominently in future versions of the Government’s leveling up strategy.