Chinese Population in the UK

 The UK is a very diverse area, made up of a wonderful cocktail of ethnic backgrounds. However, despite the spotlight that is given to ethnicities from the subcontinent, it is the Chinese section of the community that often misses out on most of the publicity.

Britain is famous, when it comes to China for it's administration of Hong Kong for many years, although control of the region has now passed back to the mainland Chinese authorities. However, when it comes to Chinese influence in the territories of the UK proper, the attention usually centres on restaurants, and 'China Town'.

With that in mind, where is Chinese culture most prevalent in the UK, the answers may surprise you.

Chinese Population Areas In The UK

If you were to guess where the largest concentration of Chinese people was in the UK, what would your answer be? In fact, the areas with highest concentration of Chinese people, with just over 3% of people identifying as being of Chinese extraction are:

• Manchester 3.4% - 13,539
• Birmingham 3.2% - 12,712
• Barnet 2.1% - 8,259

From the above figures, on the official gov.uk website, you can see that Manchester and Birmingham are significantly ahead of other urban areas for Chinese population totals.

Chinese Education Trends

It is well known that culturally, Chinese families are educationally focused, and the UK is no different. In 2018, 66.3% of Chinese students went on to further education, and this has reaped rewards for the UK economy. Surprisingly, whilst the those not in employment, education and training in the UK was over 12%, Chinese students set an amazing pace with only 6.2% of 16 to 24 years old absent from those sectors.

With that in mind, the overall trend for Chinese UK professional workers is that they should form a greater percentage of skilled workers in years to come.

What Does This Mean?

For those who fear that the 'Chinese are taking over the UK', the figures remain significantly low to negate that reasoning. However, the growing integration of Chinese culture in UK society continues to enrich the diversity and 'spice' of UK life.

Since 1842, Chinese folk have contributed to life in the UK, and the trend has accelerated in recent years. As such, those of us who are privileged to live in the Uk will continue to benefit from the best parts of Chinese culture for many years to come.

So, don't be afraid to feast well at your local Chinese restaurant, but don't be surprised to see your Marketing executive, Accountant, or Parliamentary representative being someone who bears the distinctive genetic traits of China, it will happen all the more frequently in years to come, and is an asset to communities across the UK.