Editing London Borough of Tower Hamlets (section)

==Demographics==
[[File:Tower Hamlets population pyramid.svg|thumb|Population pyramid of the Borough of Tower Hamlets in 2021]]
{{Historical populations
| title= Population census
| percentages = 
| 1801 |130871
| 1811 |160718
| 1821 |195941
| 1831 |231534
| 1841 |275250
| 1851 |330548
| 1861 |410101
| 1871 |489653
| 1881 |569205
| 1891 |584936
| 1901 |578143
| 1911 |571438
| 1921 |529114
| 1931 |489956
| 1941 |337774
| 1951 |232860
| 1961 |195883
| 1971 |164699
| 1981 |139989
| 1991 |167985
| 2001 |196121
| 2011 |254096
| 2021 |310300
|footnote=Note:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10057346&c_id=10001043&add=N|title=Tower Hamlets: Total Population |access-date=6 September 2011 |work=A Vision of Britain Through Time |publisher=Great Britain Historical GIS Project }}</ref>
}}

By 1891, Tower Hamlets – roughly the ancient [[Stepney (parish)|civil parish of Stepney]] – was already one of the most populated areas in London. Throughout the nineteenth century, the local population increased by an average of 20% every ten years. The building of the docks intensified land use and caused the last marshy areas in the south of the parish to be drained for housing and industry. In the north of the borough, employment was principally in weaving, small household industries like boot and furniture making and new industrial enterprises like [[Bryant and May]]. The availability of cheap labour drew in many employers. To the south, employment was in the docks and related industries – such as [[Ship chandler|chandler]]y and rope making.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, the district now recognised as Tower Hamlets was characterised by overcrowding and poverty. The construction of the railways caused many more displaced people to settle in the area, and a massive influx of Eastern European [[Jewish people|Jews]] at the latter part of the nineteenth century added to the population growth. This migration peaked at the end of that century and [[population growth]] entered a long decline through to the 1960s, as people moved away eastwards to newer suburbs of London and [[Essex]]. The area's population had neared 600,000 around the end of the nineteenth century, but fell to a low of less than 140,000 by the early 1980s.

The metropolitan boroughs suffered very badly during [[World War II]], during which considerable numbers of houses were destroyed or damaged beyond use due to [[The Blitz|heavy aerial bombing]]. This coincided with a decline in work in the docks, and the closure of many traditional industries. The [[Patrick Abercrombie|Abercrombie Plan for London]] (1944) began an exodus from London towards the [[New towns in the United Kingdom|new towns]].<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10056858&c_id=10001043&add=N ''A Vision of Britain through time'']. Retrieved 20 February 2009.</ref>

This decline began to reverse with the establishment of the [[London Docklands Development Corporation]] bringing new industries and housing to the brownfield sites along the river. Also contributing was new immigration from Asia beginning in the 1970s. According to the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 UK Census]] the population of the borough is approximately 196,106. According to the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] estimate, the population is 237,900, as of 2010.<ref name=10est>[http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?adminCompAndTimeId=28071%3A345&a=7&b=276772&c=Tower+Hamlets&d=13&r=1&e=13&f=27230&o=131&g=346969&i=1001x1003x1004x1005&l=1813&m=0&s=1315324732592&enc=1 Resident Population Estimates, All Persons - Tower Hamlets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112033324/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?adminCompAndTimeId=28071%3A345&a=7&b=276772&c=Tower%20Hamlets&d=13&r=1&e=13&f=27230&o=131&g=346969&i=1001x1003x1004x1005&l=1813&m=0&s=1315324732592&enc=1 |date=12 January 2012 }} ONS.</ref>

Crime in the borough increased by 3.5% from 2009 to 2010, according to figures from the [[Metropolitan Police]],<ref>Kleebauer, Alistair. [http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/crime_went_up_by_3_5_in_tower_hamlets_last_year_according_to_met_figures_1_781216 "Crime went up by 3.5% in Tower Hamlets last year, according to Met figures"]. ''[[East London Advertiser]]''. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303030254/http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/crime_went_up_by_3_5_in_tower_hamlets_last_year_according_to_met_figures_1_781216 Archived] 21 July 2011.</ref> having decreased by 24% between 2003/04 and 2007/08.<ref>[http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=a4d09192-a9e9-431a-a828-dd44eb892e63&version=-1 "Tower Hamlets Crime and Drugs Reduction Strategy – Year 1 2008/09"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320003149/http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=a4d09192-a9e9-431a-a828-dd44eb892e63&version=-1 |date=20 March 2012 }}. Tower Hamlets Partnership. Retrieved 21 July 2011.</ref>

Tower Hamlets has one of the smallest [[White British]] populations of any local authority in the United Kingdom. No ethnic group forms a majority of the population; a plurality of residents are white (45%), a little over two thirds of whom are White British. 32% of residents are [[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshi]], which is the largest ethnic minority group in the borough, with Asians as a whole forming 41% of the population.<ref name=census11>[http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/Documents/Borough_statistics/Ward_profiles/Census-2011/RB-Census2011-Ethnicity-2013-01.pdf Ethnicity in Tower Hamlets] TowerHamlets.gov.uk.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/351-400/367_census_information/2011_census.aspx |title=census_information/2011 |access-date=2 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208050100/http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/351-400/367_census_information/2011_census.aspx |archive-date=8 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A smaller proportion are of Black African and Caribbean descent (7%),<ref name=census11/> with [[Somalis in the United Kingdom|Somalis]] representing the second-largest minority ethnic group.<ref name="LBTH">{{cite web|url=http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/BVIR/ECC85820-A585-11d7-B311-0060085F8572/TowerHamletsMajorWorks.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808185020/http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/BVIR/ECC85820-A585-11d7-B311-0060085F8572/TowerHamletsMajorWorks.pdf |archive-date=2008-08-08 |url-status=live|title=Audit Commission|work=audit-commission.gov.uk}}</ref> Those of mixed ethnic backgrounds form 4%, while other ethnic groups form 2%.<ref name=census11/><ref name="LBTH"/><ref>{{cite web |author=Neighbourhood Statistics |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=276772&c=Tower+Hamlets&d=13&e=15&g=346968&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1222206347798&enc=1&dsFamilyId=47 |title=Tower Hamlets - Ethnic groups - 2001 Census - ONS |website=Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk |access-date=22 October 2010 |archive-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502074557/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=276772&c=Tower+Hamlets&d=13&e=15&g=346968&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1222206347798&enc=1&dsFamilyId=47 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The White British proportion was recorded as 31.2% in the 2011 UK Census, a decrease from 42.9% in 2001.{{update inline|date=April 2025}}

In 2018, Tower Hamlets had the lowest life expectancy and the highest rate of [[Cardiovascular disease|heart disease]] of all London boroughs, along with [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.genesandhealth.org/bn/node/91|title=Diabetes and heart disease in Bangladeshis and Pakistanis {{!}} East London Genes & Health|website=Genesandhealth.org|language=bn|access-date=2018-07-14}}</ref>

The [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]] found that the borough has one of the lowest proportions of population over the age of 65 or older in England and Wales, at 5.6%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Age - Census Maps, ONS |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/population/age/resident-age-3a/aged-65-years-and-over |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>

===Ethnicity===
[[File:Ethnic makeup of Tower Hamlets by single year ages in 2021.svg|thumb|Ethnic makeup of Tower Hamlets by single year ages in 2021]]
[[File:Ethnic demography of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets over time.gif|thumb|Ethnic demography of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets over time]]

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
! rowspan="3" |Ethnic Group
! colspan="14" |Year
|-
! colspan="2" |1966 estimations<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic minorities in Britain |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/659921 |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=search.worldcat.org |page=42 |language=en}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1971 estimations<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tim Butler |first=Chris Hamnett |title=Ethnicity, class and aspiration |url=https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/ethnicity-class-and-aspiration |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Policy Press |page=66}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1981 estimations<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |title=Ethnicity in the 1991 Census |url=http://archive.org/details/ethnicityin1991c0000unse |volume=3: ''Social Geography and Ethnicity in Britain, Geographical Spread, Spatial Concentration and Internal Migration'' |location=London |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) |date=1996 |isbn=978-0-11-691655-6 |oclc=54325016 |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1991 census<ref name=":02"/>
! colspan="2" |2001 census<ref>{{cite web |title=2001 Census Key Statistics |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/census-2001-key-statistics/local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/local-authorities-ks06--ethnic-group.xls |publisher=Office of National Statistics |website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=2021-09-07}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011 census<ref name=":36">{{Cite web |title=2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |publisher=Office of National Statistics |website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=2021-12-15}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2021 census<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |publisher=Office of National Statistics |access-date=2022-11-29}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]: Total 
!–
!95.7%
!–
!91.4%
!108,776
!76.2%
!107,481
!63.9%!! 100,799 !! 51% !! 114,819 !! 45%
!122,266
!39.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[White British|British]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 84,151 || 43% || 79,231 || 31%
|71,177
|22.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[White Irish|Irish]]
|–
|1.4%
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 3,823 || 2% || 3,863 || 2%
|3,567
|1.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[White Gypsy or Irish Traveller|Gypsy or Irish Traveller]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–||  –||  –|| 175 || 0%
|110
|0.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[Romani people|Roma]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|2,225
|0.7%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[Other White|Other]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 12,825 || 7% || 31,550 || 12%
|45,187
|14.6%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[British Asian|Asian or Asian British]]: Total  
!–
!2.3%
!–
!–
!23,234
!16.3%
!46,084
!27.4%!! 75,380 !! 38% !! 104,501 !! 41%
!137,856
!44.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Indians|Indian]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|1,378
|
|1,730
| || 3,001 || 2% || 6,787 || 3%
|10,135
|3.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|990
|
|1,239
| || 1,486 || 1% || 2,442 || 1%
|3,341
|1.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|18,888
|13.2%
|39,429
|23.5%|| 65,553 || 33% || 81,377 || 32%
|107,333
|34.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Chinese|Chinese]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|1,056
|
|1,825
| || 3,573 || 2% || 8,109 || 3%
|10,279
|3.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|922
|
|1,861
| || 1,767 || 1% || 5,786 || 2%
|6,768
|2.2%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Black British people|Black or Black British]]: Total 
!–
!2%
!–
!–
!9,011
!6.3%
!11,940
!7.1%!! 12,742 !! 6% !! 18,629 !! 7%
!22,693
!7.4%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|African]]
|–
|0.2%
|–
|–
|2,363
|
|3,969
| || 6,596 || 3% || 9,495 || 4%
|15,373
|5.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|Caribbean]]
|–
|1.8%
|–
|–
|5,270
|
|6,055
| || 5,225 || 3% || 5,341 || 2%
|4,930
|1.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|Other Black]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|1,378
|
|1,916
| || 921 || 0% || 3,793 || 1%
|2,390
|0.8%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed or British Mixed]]: Total 
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–!! 4,873 !! 2% !! 10,360 !! 4%
!15,409
!5%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 1,568 || 1% || 2,837 || 1%
|3,593
|1.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black African 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 789 || 0% || 1,509 || 1%
|2,236
|0.7%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Asian 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 1,348 || 1% || 2,961 || 1%
|4,374
|1.4%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: Other Mixed 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 1,168 || 1% || 3,053 || 1%
|5,206
|1.7%
|- 5
! style="text-align:left" | Other: Total 
!–
!–
!–
!–
!1,702
!
!2,584
! !! 2,312 !! 1% !! 5,787 !! 3%
!12,082,
!3.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Other: Arab 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–||  –||  –|| 2,573 || 1%
|3,588
|1.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Other: Any other ethnic group 
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
| –|| 2,312 || 1% || 3,214 || 1%
|8,494
|2.7%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ethnic minority: Total 
!–
!4.3%
!–
!8.6%
!33,947
!23.8%
!60,608
!36%!! 95,307 !! 49% !! 139,277 !! 55%
!188,040
!60.8%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Total 
!–
!100%
!–
!100%
!142,723 
!100%
!168,089
!100%!! 196,106 !! 100.00% !! 254,096 !! 100.00%
!310,306
!100%
|}