Census 2021
The Westminster Census Story
Census 2021
Why is the Census important?
The Census 2021 forms a major element to our understanding of local communities and related service needs for years to come. In many cases, it is the best source of information about certain issues in the borough. By understanding who Westminster’s residents are, how they live and how characteristics, such as age or levels of deprivation, are changing over time, the right services for residents can be planned, delivered and correctly budgeted.
Census 2021 Issues
The Census was carried out in March 2021 during the pandemic, reflecting a moment in time that posed challenges for research to be carried out with the public including when usual residents had temporarily moved away from the centre of London.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recognises that the timing of the Census impacted Census results in certain areas, especially those with more mobile populations due to international migration, second-home owners and students – all of which feature in high numbers in Westminster. As city life returns to normalcy post-covid restrictions, there is new evidence to suggest that people are returning.
The Census results also suggest that Westminster properties are less likely to be used for full-time homes than previously thought. Around thirty-five thousand properties in Westminster have no full-time occupants due to vacant or second homes and short-term lets. We are currently working to understand if these results are due to the timing of the pandemic or reflective of other changes.
We are using administrative datasets to better understand the results of the Census and we are working in partnership with other London boroughs with similar issues to explore the resident population of inner London more generally.
Despite some shortcomings of the timing of the 2021 Census, it remains one of the most definitive sources of demographic and population information for Westminster and provides a unique snapshot of the rich diversity of our communities.
Geography
Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOA) and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA) are referred to throughout as they are used in the map. These are small areas with roughly the same number of people in them. MSOAs contain around 7,500 residents and LSOAs contain around 1,500 residents.
Key Changes in Westminster
Demography and migration
On 2nd November 2022 the ONS released the first cut of more detailed data from the 2021 Census, giving information about household composition, age, gender and nationality.
Demography
The population that is under 5 or at primary school age (those aged 5 to 11) has fallen since 2011, in some areas up to 30%. Secondary school aged residents (11-16) have increased by 5% since 2011. There was also an 11% increase in the number of young adults (aged 20 to 24) from 2011. The population of over 65s has increased by 1%, with over 85s also remaining at similar levels compared with 2011, with a slight increase of 0.6%.
While the number of under 5s and primary age school children has fallen since 2011, Westminster retains a younger age profile than England, particularly because it has a much higher proportion of working-age adults (those 16-64).
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of the population aged 0 to 15, 16 to 64 and 65+ by MSOA (i.e. per approx. 7,500 residents).
Migration
The movement of the population caused by international migration remains considerable. More than 20,000 Westminster residents arrived in the UK within the past 2 years, which is 10% of the borough's total population. That places Westminster at the top of all local authorities (except City of London) in England or Wales for proportion of residents recently arrived.
More than 55% of Westminster residents were born outside of the UK, a proportion that has risen by 2 percentage points since 2011, making Westminster one of the most attractive boroughs in London for foreign nationals to come and work. 10% of Westminster residents have lived in the UK for under 2 years, 19% for under 5 years and 28% for under 10 years. Half of non‐UK born Westminster residents (50%) have lived in the UK for less than 10 years.
Non-UK short-term residents in Westminster totaled 2,920, which is the highest number among all local authorities in London. However, this figure still represents a fall of 58% since 2011 – we can attribute this to the impact of the pandemic. A short-term resident is defined as anyone living in England and Wales who was born outside the UK and intended to stay in the UK for between 3 and 12 months, for any reason. In the previous Census of 2011, the majority of these in England were students.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of the population not born in the UK, born in the UK and resident in Westminster for less than two years by LSOA.
Households and deprivation
Westminster’s Census 2021 population is 204,236, which is comprised of 199,943 (98%) people living in households and a further 4,293 (2%) people living in communal establishments (such as student halls). Westminster’s population living in households has fallen by 6.2% since 2011 and those living in communal establishments decreased by 30.6%.
The number of households who are deprived in two or more dimensions has fallen by around 9,000 households. Both the proportion and the number of deprived households in Westminster has fallen since 2011. It is not yet clear why this is the case.
The deprivation dimensions include:
- Employment: where any member of a household, who is not a full-time student, is either unemployed or long-term sick.
- Education: no person in the household has at least five or more GCSE passes or equivalent qualifications, and no person aged 16 to 18 years is a full-time student.
- Health and disability: any person in the household has general health that is “bad” or “very bad” or is identified as disabled.
- Housing: the household’s accommodation is either overcrowded, or is in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating.
The proportion deprived households in Westminster is similar to both London and England.
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of households deprived in two or more dimensions by LSOA.
Household composition and size
Household composition in Westminster is different to both London and England. There are many more one-person households in Westminster. These make up 43% of households compared with 29% in London and 30% in England. There are also more households described as 'other' types than in England which are neither one-person households nor contain a single family (a couple with or without children). These 'other' households include, for example, multi-generational households or students living together.
As a consequence of household composition Westminster has a higher proportion of one person households than both London and England and there are fewer larger households especially households with four or more people in them. Compared to London and England, there are more of the following people in Westminster: people who are single; people who are married or in registered civil partnership but living apart; and people who are separated, divorced or widowed
Ethnic group, national identity, language, and religion
On 29 th November 2022, ONS released data on ethnic group, national identity, language and religion. This is an important Census output as there is plenty of evidence to suggest that individuals of differing ethnicities and language proficiency experience differing outcomes – whether it be in health, education, or access to services. Understanding the ethnic mix of a population can help improve delivery by helping to focus resources in particular areas and in more effective ways.
National Identity
The census question on national identity was introduced in 2011 because of increased interest in "national" consciousness and a demand for people to be able to acknowledge their national identity. The question allows respondents to select all identities that apply. The term "only" is used throughout the article to refer to respondents classified with a single national identity. Someone’s national identity is a self-determined assessment of their own identity; it could be the country or countries where they feel they belong or think of as home. It is not dependent on ethnic group or citizenship. Respondents could select more than one national identity.
In 2021, 67.4% (137,658) of Westminster residents identified with at least one UK national identity which is an increase from 60.0% (131,543), in 2011. Those selecting a non-UK identity only accounted for 32.6% of the population (66,578 people), which is a decrease from 36.6% of the population (80,347 people) in 2011. The most common non-UK identity was Italian (3%). Other common non-UK identities include French (2%), US Citizen (2.%), and Spanish (2%).
Religion
The Census introduced a voluntary question on religion in 2001. In the Census, religion refers to a person’s religious affiliation. This is the religion with which they connect or identify, rather than their beliefs or active religious practice.
In 2021, 37% (76,200) of Westminster’s population identified as Christian, a 7 percentage point decrease from 2011. This is lower than the London or England averages (41% and 46% respectively). Since 2011, there has been a 6 percentage point increase in the proportion of people with no religion (20% to 26% in 2021), which is the second largest group. This is a trend occurring throughout England. There was a small (2 percentage point) increase in the proportion of people identifying as Muslim (18% to 20%).
Comparison of religious composition in Westminster, London and England
We have mapped religious diversity across Westminster using an index between 0 (no diversity) and 1 (complete diversity). The LSOAs with the highest scores indicate there are many different religious and non-religious groups representing fairly large sections of the population in that area.
By selecting the button below you can see the religious diversity index by LSOA.
Languages
In 2021, the proportion of households where all adults spoke English as their main language, has increased by 3 percentage points from 64% of households in 2011 to 67%. The proportion of households where no adult or child has English as their main language has fallen from 25% of all households in 2011 to 20% in 2021.
The Census also gives us data on the main language spoken. This gives us a view of preferred language at home. For 74% (146,400) of residents (aged three and over) English was the main language, which means it is their first or preferred language. This is an increase of 5 percentage points from 69% (146,200) in 2011. English is followed by Arabic at 4%, then French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, all at 2%.
Although a quarter of the Westminster population do not have English as their main language, 58% of this population can speak English ‘very well’ and 28% ‘well’. This is high compared with other boroughs, suggesting Westminster residents have good language skills with many speaking more than one. This means only a small proportion of the total population cannot speak English well or at all (4%).
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of households where at least one adult has English as their main language by LSOA.
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of people whose first language is not English, do not speak English well or at all by LSOA.
Ethnic group
In 2021, 28% (57,200) of the population were ‘White: British’. This is closely followed by those who identify as ‘White: Other’ at 25% (50,300). The next largest ethnic group was the ‘Arab’ ethnic group (8%, 15,400). The 'Asian' group (which includes, for example, Indian and Bangladeshi) represents 17% of the population, which is an increase of two percentage points from 2011 when the 'Asian/ British Asian' group made up 15% of the population. Those identifying as ‘Black’, make up 8% of the population, the same proportion as in 2011.
The actual numbers of people in each group have not changed by more than a few thousand apart from a fall of 20,200 in the ‘White: British’ group (35% in 2011 to 28% in 2021), a fall of 2,700 in the ‘White: Other White’ group, an increase in the ‘Asian’ group of 2,400 and an increase of 3,400 in the ‘Any other group’.
All of Westminster is diverse compared with the rest of England but in some areas there are more ethnic groups present and higher numbers of people in each group.
By selecting the button below you can see the diversity index by LSOA.
Labour market and travel to work
Employment and unemployment
People who are economically active are those who are employed as well as those who are unemployed and are actively looking for work. Economic activity sits at 63% in Westminster, comparable to that of England and Wales at 61% and that of London at 66%. The employment rate is the proportion of the economically active population who are employed (excluding students). The unemployment rate is the proportion of economically active people who are unemployed (also excluding students). The unemployment rate is 4%, same as the London figure, but higher than that of England at 2.9%. The LSOA with the highest unemployment rate is in the Westbourne ward, in this LSOA the unemployment rate is 10%, more than twice the Westminster average.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents who are employed or unemployed by LSOA.
Economic inactivity
Economic inactivity is 38%, mostly made up of students (11%), those who are retired (11%), those looking after the home or family (6%) and those who are long-term sick (5%). This is comparable to the London figure of 34% and the England figure of 39%.
There are fewer retired people in Westminster compared to London and to England, but more students. The proportion who are long-term sick is similar for all three regions (4% for both London and England).
Compared to 2011, economic inactivity in Westminster increased slightly from 35%. There has been a historical trend of declining economic inactivity over time, brought about in part due to the increase in the retirement age. This trend seems to have reversed as the 2021 figure for economic inactivity is slightly higher than that of 2011. This may reflect the recent nationwide trend of workers over the age of 50 dropping out of the labour force.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents who are economically inactive by LSOA.
Occupation
The Census gives nine broad occupational categories from 1 to 9. On the map these have been grouped into three categories roughly related to the amount of education, training and/or experience that an occupation requires. The first group (managers, professional and technical occupations) and the third group (elementary, sales and customer service occupations) are shown on the map.
Westminster has a much higher proportion of employed residents in categories 1 to 3 (managers, directors, professional and technical occupations) and fewer in the six other categories. Pay tends to be higher in categories 1 to 3 compared with other occupational categories. Visit the Census website to learn more about each category: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/industryandoccupationenglandandwales/census2021 .
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents by occupational category by MSOA.
Housing
Tenure
In 2021, 43% (41,065) of households were in private rented accommodation, 28% (26,810) were in social rented accommodation and 27% (25,962) owned the accommodation they lived in. London had the lowest level of overall home ownership (47%) of any English region but this was still almost double the rate in Westminster. Compared to other English regions, London also had the highest proportion of households that rented privately (30%) or in the social rented sector (23%).
In comparison to 2011, the proportion of households in private and social rent has increased - those were 40% and 26% respectively, and the proportion of households who owned their own home was higher (at 31%).
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of households by tenure by LSOA.
Overcrowding and type of housing
In Westminster, 10% (9,711) of the households had fewer bedrooms than required (overcrowded) and 39% (36,629) had more bedrooms than required (under-occupied). The remaining 51% (48,474) of Westminster’s households were ideally occupied. This is proportionally similar to the 2011 figures.
The proportion of overcrowded homes (10%) was similar to the London figure (11%) but more than double the figure for England (4%). As with many indicators from the Census overcrowding in Westminster is geographically concentrated: two LSOAs (one in Queen's Park and one in Church Street ward) had overcrowding rates of 31%. At the other end of the scale two LSOAs had over crowding rates of just 2%
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of overcrowded households by tenure by LSOA.
In Westminster, 89.8% (85,094) of households lived in a flat, maisonette or apartment, 10.2% (9,631) lived in a house or bungalow.
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of households living in a flat by LSOA.
Second homes
In addition to reporting their primary address, Census 2021 asked respondents if they stayed at another address for more than 30 days a year. If they answered yes, they were then asked the purpose of the second address, and whether it is within or outside the UK. Second addresses usually include:
- armed forces bases
- addresses used by people working away from home
- a student’s home address
- the address of another parent or guardian
- a partner’s address
- a holiday home
Overall, 30,225 residents in Westminster (15% of the population) reported staying at a second address for more than 30 days a year. The percentage of people who used a second address has fallen slightly since 2011, when it was 15.8% (34,721). 6% of residents used a second address in the UK and 9% residents used a second address outside the UK. These percentages haven’t changed significantly since 2011.
The most common types of second address were another parent or guardian's address (used by 3.5% of residents), holiday homes (3.0%), and student’s home addresses (1.9%).
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of households with a second home by LSOA.
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Sexual orientation
In Westminster around 5% (9,727) of people identified with an LGB+ orientation (“Gay or Lesbian”, “Bisexual” or “Other sexual orientation”). This is slightly higher than the London proportion of 4% and the England proportion of 3%.
There was a lot of variation by small geographic area. Two MSOAs, ‘Fitzrovia West and Soho’ and ‘the Strand, St James and Mayfair’ had more than double the Westminster average with 11% of people identifying with an LGB+ orientation. In comparison, there were three MSOAs where only 3% of the population identified as LGB+.
This question was optional and in England and Wales 7.5% of people chose not to answer the question. In Westminster this was 11% which should be kept in mind when considering these results because the LGB+ population may actually be higher than reported.
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of people over 16 who identified with an LGB+ orientation by MSOA.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to a person’s sense of their own gender, whether male, female or another category such as non-binary. This may or may not be the same as their sex registered at birth. The question on gender identity was new for Census 2021. It was added to provide the first official data on the size of the transgender population in England and Wales.
In Westminster 0.75% (1,329) of people do not identify with the same sex as their registered birth. This is lower than the London figure of 0.91% but higher than the England figure of 0.55%.
The two London boroughs with the highest proportion of people who do not identify with the same sex as their registered birth are Brent and Newham with 1.31% and 1.51% respectively.
By selecting the button below you can see the proportion of people over 16 who do not identify with the same sex as their registered birth by MSOA.
As with sexual orientation there is considerable variation between smaller geographical areas, the MSOAs ‘Little Venice’ and ‘Marylebone and Park Lane’ have the lowest proportion of people who do not identify with the same sex as their registered birth, both with 0.23% each. The highest proportions, 1.25% and 1.27% are found in Westbourne and Church St MSOAs.
This question was optional and in England 6% of people chose not to answer. In Westminster this was 9% which should be kept in mind when considering these results because the trans population may actually be higher than reported.
Education
Qualifications
In Westminster, 58% of residents hold Level 4 or above qualifications as their highest qualification. A Level 4 or above qualification is a Higher National Certificate, Higher National Diploma, Bachelor's degree, or post-graduate qualification. This is much higher than the London average of 47% (the English region with the highest proportion of people with this level of qualification) and the England average of 34%. This is one of the highest proportions in London behind, City of London (74%), Wandsworth (63%), Richmond (60%) and Kensington and Chelsea (60%).
Westminster is also in the top 2% for the proportion of residents who are highly educated across all local authorities in England and Wales. This high concentration of residents with Level 4 qualifications or above means that a smaller proportion of people than the London and England proportion are in every other qualification level group.
1 in 8 residents have no qualifications (13%) compared with 16% in London and 18% in England. This pattern of change is similar to both London and England. The proportion of residents who hold Apprenticeships, Level 3 and Level 4 or above qualifications increased (with the largest percentage point increase in Level 4 +) while those with no qualifications, Level 1, Level 2 or ‘other qualifications’ fell.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents with no qualifications and Level 4+ qualifications by LSOA.
The qualification with the lowest proportion in both the 2011 (0.8%) and 2021 (2.1%) Census is Apprenticeships. This does represent a 1.3 percentage point increase in the proportion of Westminster residents who had an Apprenticeship as their highest level of qualification, however, this growth is less than that seen in London (1.6 percentage points) and England (1.7 percentage points).
The fall in ‘other qualifications’ was largest in Westminster perhaps reflecting the high proportion of Westminster residents who qualified in another country who have chosen to requalify in England or who have left. This should become clearer when further publications are released.
Health, disability, and unpaid care
General health
In Westminster around 85% of people reported that their health was good or very good. When differences in population size and age are accounted for, 53% of Westminster residents say their health is very good. This is higher than the London (49%) and England and Wales (48%) proportions. Compared to the previous Census in 2011, there was a 4 percentage point increase in Westminster residents reporting very good health from 49%. Five percent of people classified their health as bad or very bad - this was an overall decrease compared to the previous Census.
When looking at a lower geographical level, residents in Church Street (10%), Westbourne (8%) and Queen’s Park (8%) wards are more likely to say their health is bad or very bad.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents by type of health by LSOA.
It is clear that deprivation has a notable impact on the proportion of people that say their health is bad or very bad, with 11% of residents in the most deprived areas of the borough reporting bad or very bad health compared to just 1% in the least deprived areas.
Disability
In Westminster, 82% of residents do not have any long-term health conditions. This is a higher percentage than was recorded in the 2011 Census. However, 20% of households in Westminster include one disabled member, and in 4% of households, two or more people are disabled.
Fourteen percent of Westminster residents have a long-term condition that limits their day-to-day activities a little or a lot. Taking into account the borough’s younger population, Westminster residents were more likely to say their activities were limited a lot (7.8%), compared to both London (7.1%) and England and Wales (7.6%).
At Ward level, residents of Church Street (21%), Westbourne (19%) and Queen’s Park (18%) wards are more likely to say their activities are limited a little or a lot, whilst residents of Marylebone (10%), Knightsbridge & Belgravia (9%), and Lancaster Gate (11%) wards reported the lowest proportions.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of households with a resident with a disability and the proportion of residents with limited activity by LSOA.
Additionally, costs for disabled residents tend to be higher. According to research conducted by the charity Scope in 2016, disabled people spend an average of £550 a month on costs related to their disability. The nature of these costs varies depending on the disability, but disabled people tend to have to spend more on heating, insurance, equipment and therapies. This coupled with the deprivation factor may lead to some residents facing higher levels of hardship.
The proportion of those in the most deprived areas of the borough who say they have a long-term limiting illness is 23%, more than three times the proportion of those in the least deprived areas in the borough (7%). This again illustrates the effect deprivation has on the health of residents.
Unpaid care
In 2021, 93% of Westminster residents said they did not provide unpaid care. This is a 1.5 percentage point increase from the 2011 Census (91%).
Compared to both England (91%) and London (92%), a lower age-standardised proportion of Westminster residents (93%) provided no unpaid care at all. Westminster also had the lowest proportion of residents providing 50 or more hours unpaid care a week (2%). Overall, Westminster had the seventh lowest proportion of residents providing unpaid care in London.
Residents in Church Street (10%), Westbourne (9%) and Queen’s Park (8%) are more likely to provide unpaid care than other wards in the borough. However, there is a wide degree of variation within wards for the provision of unpaid care.
By selecting the buttons below you can see the proportion of residents providing unpaid care by LSOA.
Many people who could be classified as unpaid carers do not consider themselves as such due to their relationship with the person. Consequently, these figures could under report the true levels of provision of unpaid care. Not all hidden carers get formal support, these figures help us to identify where those individuals are.
The relationship between deprivation and provision of unpaid care appears to be less significant than the link with general health and disability. In the most deprived areas of the borough, 10% of the residents said they provided unpaid care, compared to 4% in the least deprived areas. This may be due to unpaid care being highly related to age as well as deprivation.
