Census reveals changing face of UK

Following yesterday’s publication of the 2011 census results, a number of fascinating facts about the evolution of life in England and Wales have emerged. For those of you interested in British society and culture, here are a handful of the most interesting snippets of information gleaned from the news:

1. 1 in 8 residents are born outside the UK
Other than the UK, India, Poland and Pakistan are the most common countries of birth for residents of England and Wales. White British people are now in a minority in London, constituting 45% of the population.

2. A quarter of the population declare themselves to be of ‘no religion’
The number of Christians has decreased by over 4 million since 2001 but Christianity remains the largest religion in England and Wales, followed by Islam which is on the up.

3. Married couple households are in the minority for the first time 
The number of married and civilly partnered couples now make up 47% of all households whilst the number of single adults has risen by 3 million since 2001.

4. Women outnumber men by more than 1 million
This is thought to be due to a longer life expectancy amongst women but also due to women being more likely to fill out the forms!

5. Those in the Lake District work the longest hours
Over a fifth of inhabitants in this stunning, rural area of Britain work more than 49 hours, primarily due to it being a low-wage farming economy where many people have multiple jobs.

Sources: www.guardian.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/news