United Kingdom (Somali diaspora)

How many Somalis live in the United Kingdom?

In 2021, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) counted 176,645 people in England and Wales who identified as Somali (ONS, 2023). That is 0.3% of residents, up 78.5% from 98,937 in 2011 (ONS).

Most people were counted through the ethnic group question: 150,090 by ethnic group alone, 19,195 by both and 7,360 by national identity only (ONS). In the detailed ethnic table, 168,351 people wrote "Somali" and 27,282 wrote "Somalilander" (Nomis, Census 2021 TS022). The ONS article does not say how it treated "Somalilander" answers, so both counts are given here.

By country of birth, 108,918 people in England and Wales were born in Somalia (Nomis, Census 2021 TS012). At the end of 2024, UNHCR counted 2,697 refugees and 1,590 asylum seekers from Somalia in the UK (UNHCR Refugee Data Finder API).

Where in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do they live?

England holds almost everyone: 174,410 people, against 2,235 in Wales (ONS). London has 62.4% of the total, and Brent has the highest local share, at 6.6% (ONS).

Outside London, the ONS gives these shares of all Somalis in England and Wales (ONS):

• Birmingham: 11.3%
• Bristol: 4.4%
• Manchester: 4.0%
• Leicester: 3.8%
• Cardiff: 1.0%, and Newport 0.2%, the two main Welsh communities

Sheffield and Liverpool also have their own pages; smaller towns are on Other UK cities.

In Wales, 55.5% of Somali residents were born in Somalia and 32.8% in Wales (ONS). The wards with the most Somali and Somalilander residents are Moss Side in Manchester (2,797) and Stonebridge in Brent (2,509) (Nomis, TS022 by ward).

Northern Ireland counted at least 632 people born in Somalia in 2021, of whom 600 lived in Belfast (NISRA, table CT0094, 2024). Fermanagh and Omagh had 18, and most other districts fewer than five (NISRA).

Scotland held its census a year later, in 2022, and printed census guidance in Somali (National Records of Scotland).

When did they arrive?

The early story of Somali seamen is told on the seamen, London, Cardiff and Liverpool pages. Census 2021 shows when today's Somalia-born residents of England and Wales arrived (ONS Census 2021, year of arrival by country of birth):

• Before 1981: 833
• 1981 to 1990: 5,814
• 1991 to 2000: 32,716
• 2001 to 2010: 50,684
• 2011 to 2021: 18,875

The 2000s wave was the largest. Many came onward from elsewhere in Europe, above all to Leicester. In 2021, Somalia-born residents held 13,822 passports from smaller EU states, 581 Italian and 346 German (ONS Census 2021, passports held). For why people left, see Why and how Somalis left.

How many Somalis received asylum each year?

Home Office figures count main applicants only before 2001 and include dependants after. Early answers in Parliament give these decisions on Somali claims:

• January 1989 to April 1992: 6,195 claims; 1,145 granted asylum and 1,110 exceptional leave to remain (Hansard, 22 May 1992).
• 1995 to 1997: most decisions gave exceptional leave, not refugee status: 2,205 in 1995 and 3,580 in 1996 (Hansard, 14 February 2000).
• 1998: 4,685 claims; 2,330 recognised as refugees (Hansard, 15 September 2003).
• 2000: 5,310 recognised as refugees and 3,575 given exceptional leave, the peak year (Hansard, 2003).

From 2001, the Home Office dataset gives decisions on people, including dependants (Home Office, asylum claims and initial decisions, year ending June 2026):

• 2002: 3,674 granted protection, 1,906 other leave, 4,032 refused
• 2005: 847 granted protection, 1,236 refused
• 2010: 466 granted protection, 488 refused
• 2015: 223 granted protection, 322 refused
• 2020: 106 granted protection, 50 refused
• 2023: 517 granted protection, 325 refused
• 2025: 1,218 granted protection, 2,096 refused

Claims fell to 258 main applicants in 2020, then rose to 4,382 in 2025, the most since 2003 (Home Office). Of 4,783 people claiming in 2025, 4,565 had arrived without a visa or other permission (Home Office).

A smaller number came through resettlement from camps abroad. The UK resettled 2,366 Somalis from 2010 to June 2026, most through the Gateway Protection Programme (Home Office, resettlement datasets). For what these statuses mean, see Refugee papers and status.

How many have become British citizens?

The Home Office granted British citizenship to 87,408 Somali nationals from 2005 to June 2026 (Home Office, citizenship datasets). Grants peaked at 9,029 in 2006, fell to 2,106 in 2014, and were 1,700 in 2025 (Home Office).

The census confirms this. In 2021, 82,219 of the 108,918 Somalia-born residents held a UK passport, and 6,183 held no passport (ONS Census 2021, passports held). Only 1,727 held a Somali passport; see the Somali passport.

How young is the community?

Very young. In 2021, 48.2% of Somalis in England and Wales were under 21, double the national 24.2% (ONS). Children under 11 made up 21.3% (ONS).

More Somalis were born in England (43.5%) than in Somalia (43.1%) (ONS). Of those born in England, 83.8% were aged 0 to 19, while 58.0% of the Somalia-born were 30 to 54 (ONS).

What schooling and work do they have?

The generation gap shows in schooling. Among Somalis aged 16 to 29, 27.6% held a degree-level (Level 4) qualification, close to the national 30.3% (ONS). Among those 30 and over, 40.7% had no qualifications, double the national rate (ONS).

Of Somalis aged 16 to 64, 10.3% were unemployed, against 4.4% nationally, and 21.7% were students (ONS). Among women, 20.3% were out of work to look after home or family (ONS).

The most common jobs were in caring and service work (22.1%) and elementary jobs (22.1%) (ONS). Professionals made up 13.3%, and 28.2% of working men were process, plant and machine operatives (ONS).

Who speaks for the community?

Somali Britons hold civic office in many towns. In 2026, Bristol chose Councillor Yassin Mohamud, born in Mogadishu, as its first Lord Mayor of Somali heritage (Bristol City Council). Mayors, councillors and charities in each city are listed on the London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Liverpool and other UK cities pages. The first Somali-heritage MP, mayors, councillors and public figures are listed on British Somalis in public life.

What do they face now?

• Crowded homes: 58.8% of Somali households were overcrowded in 2021, against 8.4% overall (ONS).
• Few homeowners: 72.0% rented from a council or housing association, and 3.8% owned their home (ONS).
• Older people's health: 22.4% of Somalis aged 60 and over were in bad health, against 12.0% nationally (ONS).
• More refusals: in 2025, 2,096 Somali asylum decisions were refusals, against 1,218 grants (Home Office).

How are they tied to home?

Language is one tie: 61,830 people in England and Wales gave Somali as their main language in 2021 (ONS). Money is another. Individual remittances to Somalia reached about US$3.13 billion in 2025, about 24% of GDP (The EastAfrican, 2026; Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025).

London's role in money transfer, and the court case that kept it open, is on the London page. For the global picture, see Life after leaving and Somali refugees by the numbers.

Related pages

• WorldRemit and Zepz
• London (Somali diaspora)
• Birmingham (Somali diaspora)
• Bristol (Somali diaspora)
• Manchester (Somali diaspora)
• Leicester (Somali diaspora)
• Sheffield (Somali diaspora)
• Cardiff (Somali diaspora)
• Liverpool (Somali diaspora)
• Other UK cities (Somali diaspora)
• The first Somalis abroad: seamen and traders
• Why and how Somalis left
• Migration routes
• Refugee papers and status
• Life after leaving

Sources

1. Office for National Statistics. "Somali populations, England and Wales: Census 2021." 4 October 2023. ons.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
2. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS022, Ethnic group (detailed), local authorities. nomisweb.co.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
3. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS022, Ethnic group (detailed), wards. nomisweb.co.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
4. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS012, Country of birth (detailed): Somalia. nomisweb.co.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
5. ONS. Census 2021 custom dataset API: country of birth by year of arrival in the UK. api.beta.ons.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
6. ONS. Census 2021 custom dataset API: country of birth by passports held. api.beta.ons.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
7. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. "Census 2021 commissioned table CT0094: Country of birth: Somalia." 29 March 2024. nisra.gov.uk · data file. Checked 2026-11-12.
8. National Records of Scotland. "Census 2022 campaign summary (Somali)." scotlandscensus.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
9. Home Office. "Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026: Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets." 27 August 2026. gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
10. Home Office. "Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026: Citizenship datasets." 27 August 2026. gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
11. Home Office. "Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026: Resettlement scheme datasets." 27 August 2026. gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
12. UK Parliament, Hansard. Written answers, "Asylum seekers," HC Deb 22 May 1992. api.parliament.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
13. UK Parliament, Hansard. Written answers, "Somalia," HC Deb 14 February 2000. api.parliament.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
14. UK Parliament, Hansard. Written answers, "Asylum seekers," HC Deb 15 September 2003. api.parliament.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
15. UNHCR. Refugee Data Finder API, Somalia as country of origin, 2024. api.unhcr.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
16. Bristol City Council. "Current Lord Mayor." bristol.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-12.
17. The EastAfrican. "How diaspora steady Mogadishu economy in times of turmoil." 2026. theeastafrican.co.ke. Checked 2026-11-12.
18. Central Bank of Somalia. "Annual Report 2025." 2026. centralbank.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.