Editing Greater Manchester (section)

===Population of districts===
<!-- Self-maintaining population table -->
{{Greater Manchester population table}}

Greater Manchester has a population of 2,867,800 (2021 Census),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2Fpopulationandmigration%2Fpopulationestimates%2Fdatasets%2Fpopulationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwalescensus2021%2Fcensus2021%2Fcensus2021firstresultsenglandwales1.xlsx |title=Censu 2021: First results |website=[[Office for National Statistics|Office of National Statistics]] (ONS) |access-date=28 June 2022 |archive-date=24 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824225850/https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2Fpopulationandmigration%2Fpopulationestimates%2Fdatasets%2Fpopulationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwalescensus2021%2Fcensus2021%2Fcensus2021firstresultsenglandwales1.xlsx |url-status=live}}</ref> making it the [[List of ceremonial counties of England by population|third most populous county]] in England after [[Greater London]] and the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] and the highest ever for the county. The [[demonym]] of Greater Manchester is "Greater Mancunian".{{sfn|Clark|1973|p=93}} The [[Manchester dialect|Manchester accent and dialect]], native to Manchester, is common in the city and adjacent areas, but gives way to "slower, deeper accents" towards Greater Manchester's fringes and suburbs.{{sfn|Schofield|2003|pp=34–35}}

Greater Manchester is home to a diverse population and is a multicultural agglomeration with an ethnic minority population comprising 8.5% of the total population in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biser-eu.com/regions/Greater%20Manchester.pdf |title=Regional Portrait of Greater Manchester – 5.3 Population Structure/Migration (demography) |publisher=BISER Europe Regions Domain Reporting |year=2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708003629/http://www.biser-eu.com/regions/Greater%20Manchester.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=18 February 2008}}</ref><ref name="ManchesterLieutenancy">{{cite web |url=http://www.manchesterlieutenancy.org/ |publisher=manchesterlieutenancy.org |title=Warren Smith welcomes you to the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy |access-date=8 July 2008 |archive-date=5 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705195508/http://www.manchesterlieutenancy.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, there were over 66&nbsp;refugee nationalities in the county.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.can.uk.com/exodus/exodus_about.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204161626/http://www.can.uk.com/exodus/exodus_about.htm |archive-date=4 February 2008 |publisher=can.uk.com |title=Exodus: The Facts |year=2003 |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref> At the 2001 UK census, 74.2% of Greater Manchester's residents were Christian, 5.0% Muslim, 0.9% Jewish, 0.7% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist, and 0.1% Sikh. 11.4% had no religion, 0.2% had an alternative religion and 7.4% did not state their religion. This is similar to the rest of the country, although the proportions of Muslims and Jews are nearly twice the national average.<ref name="Trafford neighbourhood stats">{{cite web |title=Greater Manchester (health authority) religion |publisher=Statistics.gov.uk |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=789833&c=M7+4FU&d=14&e=16&g=353838&i=1x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=0&s=1201894343750&enc=1&dsFamilyId=95 |access-date=1 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111030649/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=789833&c=M7+4FU&d=14&e=16&g=353838&i=1x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=0&s=1201894343750&enc=1&dsFamilyId=95 |archive-date=11 January 2009}}</ref> It contains the [[Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation]], a large [[Ashkenazi]] Orthodox synagogue in North Manchester.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} Greater Manchester is covered by the Roman Catholic Dioceses of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford|Salford]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury|Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury |url=http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/ |publisher=Dioceseofshrewsbury.org |access-date=7 May 2007 |archive-date=17 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417052554/http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Parishes of the Diocese |publisher=Salforddiocese.org.uk |url=http://www.salforddiocese.org.uk/parishes/masstimes.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502121806/http://www.salforddiocese.org.uk/parishes/masstimes.html |archive-date=2 May 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=7 May 2007}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2022}} and the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool|Archdiocese of Liverpool]].{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} Much of Greater Manchester is part of the [[Anglican Diocese of Manchester]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Church of England Diocese of Manchester |url=http://www.manchester.anglican.org/default.asp |publisher=manchester.anglican.org |access-date=17 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227051946/http://www.manchester.anglican.org/default.asp |archive-date=27 December 2007}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2022}} apart from [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]] which lies within the [[Anglican Diocese of Liverpool|Diocese of Liverpool]] and parts of [[Stockport]], [[Tameside]] and [[Trafford]], which are in the [[Diocese of Chester]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to the Diocese of Liverpool |url=http://www.liverpool.anglican.org/ |publisher=liverpool.anglican.org |access-date=1 February 2008 |archive-date=24 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224170526/http://www.liverpool.anglican.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2022}}

[[File:Greater Manchester & Warrington population density map, 2011 census.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Population density map]]
Following the deindustrialisation of Greater Manchester in the mid-20th century, there was a significant economic and population decline in the region, particularly in Manchester and Salford.<ref name="Renewal">{{cite web |url=http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/BVIR/9AC95DA0-C6A1-4b9b-9A0D-D305DE72FFC8/ManchesterSalford.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080810124216/http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/BVIR/9AC95DA0-C6A1-4b9b-9A0D-D305DE72FFC8/ManchesterSalford.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 August 2008 |title=Market Renewal: Manchester Salford Pathfinder |year=2003 |publisher=[[Audit Commission (United Kingdom)|Audit Commission]] |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="Shrinking" /> Vast areas of low-quality squalid [[terraced housing]] that were built throughout the [[Victorian era]] were found to be in a poor state of repair and unsuited to modern needs; many [[inner-city]] districts suffered from chronic social deprivation and high levels of unemployment.<ref name="Shrinking" />{{sfn|Cooper|2005|p=47}} [[Slum clearance in the United Kingdom|Slum clearance]] and the increased building of [[Public housing|social housing]] [[overspill estate]]s by Salford and Manchester City Councils lead to a decrease in population in central Greater Manchester.<ref name="Slums">{{cite journal |last=Shapely |first=Peter |date=2002 |title=The press and the system built developments of inner-city Manchester |journal=Manchester Region History Review |volume=16 |pages=30–39 |publisher=Manchester Centre for Regional History |issn=0952-4320 |url=http://www.mcrh.mmu.ac.uk/pubs/pdf/mrhr_16_shapely.pdf |access-date=2 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201012030/http://www.mcrh.mmu.ac.uk/pubs/pdf/mrhr_16_shapely.pdf |archive-date=1 December 2007}}</ref> During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the population of Greater Manchester declined by over 8,000&nbsp;inhabitants a year.<ref name="Shrinking"/> While Manchester's population shrank by about 40% during this time (from 766,311 in 1931 to 452,000 in 2006), the total population of Greater Manchester decreased by only 8%.<ref name="Shrinking"/>

Greater Manchester's housing stock comprises a variety of types. [[Manchester city centre]] is noted for its high-rise apartments,<ref name="ManchesterHighRise">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2004/11/24/high_rise_living_hys_feature.shtml |title=A cut above: high rise living is back |work=BBC |date=24 November 2004 |first=Yakub |last=Qureshi |access-date=25 February 2008 |archive-date=30 December 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041230000829/https://www.bbc.co.uk/Manchester/content/articles/2004/11/24/high_rise_living_hys_feature.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> while [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]] has some of the tallest and most [[population density|densely populated]] [[tower block]] estates in Europe.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2001/feb/28/housingpolicy.keyworkerhousing |title=Tower blocks to make a comeback |date=28 February 2001 |author=Cunningham, John |work=The Guardian |access-date=26 February 2008 |archive-date=10 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510072920/http://www.theguardian.com/society/2001/feb/28/housingpolicy.keyworkerhousing |url-status=live}}</ref> Saddleworth has stone-built properties, including [[farmhouse]]s and converted weavers' cottages.{{sfn|Schofield|2003|pp=34–35}}<ref name=move>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/dec/09/lets-move-to-saddleworth-greater-manchester |work=The Guardian |first=Tom |last=Dyckhoff |title=Let's move to: Saddleworth, Greater Manchester |date=9 December 2011 |access-date=30 September 2012 |archive-date=7 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107064339/http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/dec/09/lets-move-to-saddleworth-greater-manchester |url-status=live}}</ref> Throughout Greater Manchester, rows of [[terraced house]]s are common, most of them built during the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] and [[Edwardian period]]s. House prices and labour markets differ in Greater Manchester between north and south,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/street-houses-cost-just-15000-5780479 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=24 August 2013 |title=Street where houses cost just £15,000 – we reveal cheapest and dearest homes in Greater Manchester |access-date=24 August 2013 |first=Dean |last=Kirby |archive-date=28 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628080815/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/street-houses-cost-just-15000-5780479 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Bontje|Musterd|Pelzer|2011|p=159}} such that in the 2000s, the [[Housing Market Renewal Initiative]] identified [[Manchester]], Salford, [[Rochdale]] and [[Oldham]] as areas with terraced housing unsuited to modern needs.{{sfn|Bontje|Musterd|Pelzer|2011|p=159}} In contrast, towns and villages in southern Greater Manchester, from [[Bramhall]] through [[Woodford, Greater Manchester|Woodford]] to [[Altrincham]] constitute an arc of wealthy [[commuter town]]s.{{sfn|Schofield|2003|pp=34–35}} Altrincham in particular, with its neighbours [[Bowdon, Greater Manchester|Bowdon]] and [[Hale, Greater Manchester|Hale]], forms a "stockbroker belt, with well-appointed dwellings in an area of sylvan opulence".{{sfn|Frangopulo|1977|p=224}}