Demography
| Leicester compared | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Census 2001 | Leicester | East Midlands | England |
| Total population | 292,600 | 4,172,174 | 49,138,831 |
| Foreign born | 23.0% | 6.0% | 9.2% |
| White (2001) | 63.9% | 93.5% | 90.9% |
| White (2006) | 62.0% | 91.4% | 88.7% |
| South Asian (2001) | 29.9% | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| South Asian (2006) | 29.4% | 4.8% | 5.5% |
| Black (2001) | 3.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% |
| Black (2006) | 4.6% | 1.4% | 2.8% |
| Mixed (2001) | 2.3% | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Mixed (2006) | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| East Asian and Other (2001) | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| East Asian and Other (2006) | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Christian | 44.7% | 72.0% | 71.7% |
| No religion | 17.4% | 15.2% | 14.6% |
| Hindu | 14.7% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Muslim | 11.0% | 1.7% | 3.1% |
The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed a total resident population for Leicester of 279,921, a 0.5% decrease from the 1991 census. Approximately 62,000 were aged under 16, 199,000 were aged 16–74, and 19,000 aged 75 and over. 76.9% of Leicester's population claim they have been born in the UK, according to the 2001 UK Census. Mid-year estimates for 2006 indicate that the population of the City of Leicester stood at 289,700 making Leicester the most populous city in East Midlands.
The population density is 3,814 /km2 (9,880 /sq mi) and for every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. Of those aged 16–74 in Leicester, 38.5% had no academic qualifications, significantly higher than 28.9% in all of England. 23.0% of Leicester’s residents were born outside of the United Kingdom, higher than the English average of 9.2%.
In terms of ethnic composition, the City of Leicester has the 11th highest non-white population of any district in England. According to 2006 estimates, 58.3% of residents are white British (just under 170,000 people), 3.7% other white (around 10,000 people), 29.4% Asian or Asian British (some 84,000 people), 4.6% black or black British (some 9,000 people), 2.6% mixed race (approximately 6,000 individuals) and 1.5% Chinese or other ethnic group (over 2,000 people). Amongst some of Leicester's emerging ethnic groups are the Poles who now number an estimates 30,000 in the city.
Christianity is the predominant faith in Leicester. There are also approximately 41,000 Hindus, 31,000 Muslims, and 12,000 Sikhs. There are three active synagogues in the city, one Progressive, one Orthodox and one Messianic.
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