The demography of Liverpool is officially analysed by the Office for National Statistics. The Liverpool City Region is made up of Liverpool alongside the Metropolitan Boroughs of Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and the Wirral. With a population of around 496,784, Liverpool is the largest settlement in the region and the sixth largest in the United Kingdom.

Population change

As with other major British cities, Liverpool has a large and very diverse population. In the 2011 UK Census, the recorded population of Liverpool was 466,400, a 5.5% increase from the 435,500 recorded in the 2001 census. Liverpool's population peaked in the 1930s with 846,101 recorded in the 1931 census. Until the recent increase, the city had experienced negative population growth every decade; at its peak, over 100,000 people had left the city between 1971 and 1981. Between 2001 and 2006, the city experienced the ninth largest population percentage loss of any UK unitary authority.

In common with many cities, Liverpool's population is younger than that of England as a whole, with 42.3% of its population under the age of 30, compared to an English average of 37.4%. Those of working age make up 65.1% of the population.

Urban and metropolitan area

The Liverpool Urban Area encompasses the city of Liverpool alongside Sefton, Knowsley, St. Helens and Ashton-in-Makerfield had a population of 864,122 in 2011, which ranks sixth out of all UK conurbations. Liverpool City Region had an estimated population of 1,554,642 in 2019.

Ethnicity

Liverpool is home to Britain's oldest black community, dating to at least the 1730s, and some Liverpudlians are able to trace their black ancestors in the city back ten generations. Early black settlers in the city included seamen, the children of traders sent to be educated, and freed slaves (since slaves entering the country after 1722 were deemed free men).

The city is also home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe; the first residents of the city's Chinatown arrived as seamen in the 19th century.

The city is also historically known for its large Irish and Welsh populations. The Liverpool accent (Scouse) is thought to have been influenced by the arrival of Irish and Welsh immigrants. The influences of Irish and Welsh culture have given Liverpool's people traits usually associated with the Celtic fringes of the British Isles.

The vast majority of Liverpool's ethnic minorities live within the inner city area, particularly in and around Toxteth. According to the 2001 census, 38% of the population of Granby, 37% of Princes Park, and 27% of Central were from ethnic groups other than White British.

Census data Ethnic Group1991Data is taken from United Kingdom Casweb Data services of the United Kingdom 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England, Scotland and Wales (Table 6)200120112021Number%Number%Number%Number%White: Total435,40496.23%414,52694.32%414,67188.91%408,443 84.03%White: British – –403,62591.84%395,48584.79%375,78577.31%White: Irish5,8131.28%5,3491.21%6,7291.44%6,826 1.40%White: Gypsy or Irish TravellerNew category created for the 2011 census – – – –185 0.04%5010.10%White: RomaNew category created for the 2021 census––––1,169 0.24%White: Other – –5,5521.26%12,2722.63%24,1624.97%Asian or Asian British: Total6,3581.41%9,9622.26%19,4034.16%27,7675.71%Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi395 0.09%5570.12%1,0750.23%1,9170.39%Asian or Asian British: ChineseIn 2001, listed under the 'Chinese or other ethnic group' heading.3,3370.73%5,1431.17%7,9781.71%8,8411.82%Asian or Asian British: Indian1,2950.28%1,9090.43%4,9151.05%6,2511.29%Asian or Asian British: Pakistani6300.14%1,0500.23%1,9990.42%3,6730.76%Asian or Asian British: Other Asian7010.15%1,3030.29%3,4360.73%7,0851.46%Black or Black British: Total7,2471.60%5,3771.22%12,3082.63%16,9643.49%Black or Black British: Caribbean1,4950.33%1,0830.24%1,4670.31%1,4930.31%Black or Black British: African2,4870.54%3,0710.69%8,4901.82%12,7092.61%Black or Black British: Other Black3,2650.72%1,2230.27%2,3510.50%2,7620.57%Mixed: Total––7,9071.79%11,7562.52%16,8803.47%Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – –2,3080.52%3,4730.74%4,1270.85%Mixed: White and Black African – –2,2070.50%3,1640.67%4,1570.86%Mixed: White and Asian – –1,3520.31%2,2830.48%3,6620.75%Mixed: Other Mixed – –2,0400.46%2,8360.61%4,9341.02%Other: Total3,4410.76%1,7010.38%8,2771.77%16,0343.30%Other: Arab – – – –5,6291.21%8,3121.71%Other: Any other ethnic group3,4410.76%1,7010.38%2,6480.56%7,7221.59%Total452,450100%439,473100%466,415100%486,088 100% Per the above table, note that the census question regarding ethnicity was first asked in 1991.

Ethnicity of school pupils This table shows the ethnicity of school children in Liverpool in the academic years from 2015/16 onwards. Ethnic groupSchool year2015/162016/172017/18Before this school year, ethnicity was only recorded for compulsory school age children. This means the numbers from the previous two years are not comparable with this year as well as following years- percentage should be used as a more accurate comparison if needed2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%White: Total49,30282.0%49,65381.2%57,74479.9%58,00279.1%58,39678.3%58,42377.6%58,53876.2%58,24274.9%57,32472.9%White: British46,44177.3%46,50076.1%53,62774.2%53,47372.9%53,63571.9%53,60671.2%53,49369.6%52,96068.1%51,97166.1%White: Irish2000.3%2120.3%2720.4%2850.4%2840.4%2840.4%3100.4%3070.4%2960.4%White: Roma600.1%670.1%1270.2%1790.2%2190.3%1720.2%2280.3%2480.3%2630.3%White: Traveller of Irish heritage340.1%370.1%560.1%660.1%890.1%650.1%730.1%760.1%750.1%White: Any other White background2,5674.3%2,8374.6%3,6625.1%3,9995.5%4,1695.6%4,2965.7%4,4345.8%4,6516.0%4,7196.0%Asian / Asian British: Total2,9244.9%3,1375.1%3,9885.5%4,0815.6%4,2005.6%4,2785.7%4,6706.1%5,1526.6%5,6037.1%Asian: Indian6101.0%6881.1%8651.2%8921.2%8831.2%8791.2%9801.3%1,1921.5%1,4671.9%Asian: Pakistani3980.7%4060.7%5150.7%5410.7%5940.8%6380.8%6820.9%7721.0%8351.1%Asian: Bangladeshi2940.5%3020.5%3540.5%3640.5%3760.5%3770.5%3890.5%4090.5%4430.6%Asian: Chinese7191.2%7781.3%9701.3%1,0201.4%1,0471.4%1,0121.3%1,1301.5%1,1761.5%1,1691.5%Asian: Any other Asian background9031.5%9631.6%1,2841.7%1,2641.7%1,3001.7%1,3721.8%1,4891.9%1,6032.1%1,6892.1%Black / Black British: Total2,4384.1%2,5904.2%3,2704.5%3,4024.6%3,6394.9%3,8025.1%4,1325.4%4,5525.9%5,4196.9%Black: Black Caribbean710.1%920.2%1000.1%960.1%1020.1%1040.1%1080.1%1220.2%1210.2%Black: Black African1,2892.1%1,3302.2%1,6442.3%1,8092.5%2,0132.7%2,1292.8%2,4673.2%2,9043.7%3,7774.8%Black: Any other Black background1,0781.8%1,1681.9%1,5262.1%1,4972.0%1,5242.0%1,5692.1%1,5572.0%1,5262.0%1,5211.9%Mixed / British Mixed2,9965.0%3,1475.1%3,9315.4%4,0555.5%4,1895.6%4,2815.7%4,4595.8%4,5535.9%4,7276.0%Mixed: White and Black Caribbean4000.7%4050.7%4780.7%4900.7%4910.7%5110.7%5610.7%5790.7%5840.7%Mixed: White and Black African5270.9%5230.9%6550.9%6820.9%6750.9%7050.9%7331.0%7240.9%7801.0%Mixed: White and Asian2900.5%3010.5%3770.5%4330.6%4950.7%5350.7%5920.8%6600.8%7210.9%Mixed: Any other Mixed background1,7793.0%1,9183.1%2,4213.3%2,4503.3%2,5283.4%2,5303.4%2,5733.3%2,5903.3%2,6423.4%Any other ethnic group2,0233.4%2,1443.5%2,8924.0%3,2724.5%3,5874.8%3,7665.0%4,1455.4%4,4135.7%4,5985.8%Unclassified4190.7%4460.7%5030.7%5050.7%5810.8%7321.0%8651.1%8791.1%1,0111.3%Total:60,102100%61,117100%72,292100%73,317100%74,592100%75,282100%76,809100%77,791100%78,682100%

Major ethnic and national groups The largest and most significant non-English ethnic and national groups in Liverpool are listed in alphabetical order below.

Afro-Caribbeans

Historically, and even today, the Afro-Caribbean population of Liverpool has been largely outnumbered by Black Africans. In 2009, just under 5,000 Liverpudlians were of Afro-Caribbean origin (most of these being of mixed White and Black origins). This is compared to the 6,900 plus individuals of full or partial Black African origin in the city. The International Organization for Migration estimates that Liverpool is home to between 1,000 and 2,000 Jamaicans, with the vast majority of these residing in Toxteth and Granby. Some Black Africans in Liverpool can trace their ancestry back to the city's links with the slave trade, whilst Afro-Caribbeans are a fairly recent and emerging ethnic group. By far the largest wave of Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the UK occurred in the 1940s and 1950s, when the British government encouraged people to come over and help contribute to the economy by taking up empty job vacancies. Despite being a relatively small community, Afro-Caribbeans have made a significant contribution to the history and culture of the city. There are numerous Afro-Caribbean-owned businesses and community centres in and around Toxteth and the Smithdown Road area.

Chinese

Liverpool is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe. According to 2009 estimates, 1.1% of Liverpool's population are of Chinese ethnicity (some 5,000 people). Despite this, the IOM has estimated that the true number of Chinese people in Liverpool could range between 25,000 and 35,000. The first presence of Chinese people in Liverpool dated back to the early 19th century, with the main influx arriving at the end of the 19th century. This was in part due to Alfred Holt and Company establishing the first commercial shipping line to focus on the China trade. From the 1890s onwards, small numbers of Chinese began to set up businesses catering to the Chinese sailors working on Holt's lines and others. Some of these men married working class British women, resulting in a number of British-born Eurasian Chinese being born during World War II in Liverpool. Although the Chinese population in Liverpool is much smaller than it was mid-20th century, the city's Chinatown district has spread significantly since its first establishment, now taking up much of Berry Street. The 2001 census showed 1,542 Liverpudlians were born in the People's Republic of China and 1,228 in Hong Kong. Liverpool has been twinned with China's largest city, Shanghai since 1999.

Ghanaians

There is a strong presence of Ghanaians in Liverpool, with an estimated 9,000 individuals originating in the African nation living in the city. Liverpool is a stronghold for overseas Ghanaian students; significant numbers study at the city's three universities, particularly Hope University. Hope works alongside the Ghanaian High Commission and has set up the 'High Value Scholarship for Ghana', which alongside the university's other scholarships has helped draw a large number of potential students from the African nation.

Greeks

The Liverpool Greek community dates back over 180 years, and a group named the Liverpool Greek Society was established in 1996. The first large wave of Greeks to the city occurred in 1821 after massacres of Greeks by Turkish invaders on the island of Chios. Significant numbers also came to work for the Ralli Brothers, who recruited 40,000 Greeks in cities worldwide including New York City, Geneva and Liverpool. The Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in Toxteth was built in 1870 and serves the local Greek community. There are estimated to be 2,500 Greek Cypriots in the Merseyside area, whilst 3,000 Greeks are estimated to live to the west of the River Mersey in the Wirral area, Chester and North Wales.

Irish

Following the start of the Great Irish Famine, two million Irish people migrated to Liverpool in the space of one decade, many of them subsequently departing for the United States. By 1851, more than 20% of the population of Liverpool was Irish. At the 2001 Census, 0.75% of the population were born in the Republic of Ireland, while 0.54% were born in Northern Ireland, but up to 50% of Liverpudlians are thought to have some form of Irish ancestry.

Italians