Leicester, England is home to over 400,000 people. It is located in the district of Leicestershire. Leicester is close to the River Soar, and the end of the National Forest.
The city lies at the intersection of two major railway lines in the country. These railway lines include the east or west line connecting Birmingham to London, and the north or south Midland Major line.
Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England. The city’s history dates back more than two centuries ago. The Iron age was advanced by the Romans who met here in the first or second centuries.
The city was the burial place of King Richard III. Our research shows that Leicester’s population will be 451,240 at the beginning of July 2022.
Because the Office for National Statistics (ONS), normally publishes estimates for the same period, we use the first day of July every year.
This calculation uses the average annual growth rate of 2.95 percent over the last 10 years. The calculation will be more accurate if we use the most recent years’ data (see the table below).
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Population Growth of Leicester
The data on the population of the city over the past ten years shows that it has experienced a steady and strong growth rate.
The growth rate is between 2.38 percent and 4.06 percent. Each year, the population grew by approximately 8,900 to 14,258.
| Year | Population | Growth rate |
| 2011 | 329,900 | n/a |
| 2012 | 340,142 | 3.10% |
| 2013 | 351,242 | 3.26% |
| 2014 | 365,500 | 4.06% |
| 2015 | 374,400 | 2.44% |
| 2016 | 383,300 | 2.38% |
| 2017 | 394,100 | 2.82% |
| 2018 | 405,660 | 2.93% |
| 2019 | 417,824 | 3.00% |
| 2020 | 429,130 | 2.97% |
| 2021 | 440,233 | 2.59% |
Demographics of Leicester
There are many ethnic groups living in Leicester. With 50.6 percent of the total population, the Whites make up the largest group.
There are many groups of white people living in the city. These include 45.1 percent British-born whites, 0.8% Irish whites, and 4.6% from other countries. Blacks are at 6.3 percent, Asians (37.1%), Arabs (1.6%), and other ethnicities (1.6%).
Leicester’s religious life isn’t as extensive as other cities around the globe. With 32.4 percent of its population being Christians, 18.6 percent are Muslims and 15.2 percent are Hindus. Sikhs (4.4%), Buddhism (0.4%) and Jews (0.1%) are other religions.
English is the most widely spoken language in Leicester. 72.47 percent can understand and speak English. Gujarati, which is spoken by 11.54 percent of the population, is the second most common language in the city. Other languages include Punjabi (2.4%), Urdu (1.07%), Somali (1.06%), Urdu (1.07%) and Urdu (0.8%).
Population Density of Leicester
Leicester’s population density is 4,495 people per square kilometer.
Facts About Leicester
- BBCRadio Leicester was founded in 1967 and was the first British radio station. This city is home to the United Kingdom’s first radio station, BBCRadio Leicester.
- The largest outdoor market in Europe is located in the City Market.
- The United Kingdom’s most number of traffic lights is located in Leicester.
- Thomas Cook created the first package tour on the planet, all the way from Leicester to Loughborough in 1841. For transport and refreshments, the travelers were only charged shillings per person.
- Leicester was awarded the Guinness Book of Records Award for having the largest Tesco store in Europe.
- Leicester Pride is an annual parade. It is a Caribbean Festival, and is the largest Diwali celebration outside of India. It is also home to the largest parody carnival in Britain.
References
The following links provide data for this topic:
- Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership: https://www.llep.org.uk
- Office for National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk
- Leicester City Council: https://www.leicester.gov.uk/