Multiculturalism in the United Kingdom is defined as the coexistence of diverse cultures manifested in behaviors, assumptions, and communication styles. The UK population includes immigrants from India, Poland, Ireland, Pakistan, and Germany. While Christianity remains the largest religion, the Muslim population has grown and a quarter of UK residents now report no religion. Debate exists around whether multiculturalism has failed in the UK, as the prime minister has argued, or whether cities demonstrate cultural diversity through mixed communities and influences in arts and media. Polish immigration has increased the Polish-born population in the UK.
2. Definition of multiculturalism
"Multiculturalism" is the co-existence of
diverse cultures, where culture includes
racial, religious, or cultural groups and is
manifested in customary behaviours,
cultural assumptions and values, patterns
of thinking, and communicative styles.
5. Population of the UK
Country of birth
Population
(2001 census)
Population
(2011 OSN Estimate)
United Kingdom 53,923,642 54,233,000
India 467,634 729,000
Poland 60,711 643,000
Republic of Ireland 533,901 457,000
Pakistan 321,167 457,000
Germany 266,136 297,000
6. David Cameron declared that the
doctrine of multiculturalism has “failed”
In February 2011, David Cameron held a speech
on multiculturalism at the Munich Security
Conference. In his speech he criticised "state
multiculturalism" claiming it had failed and
arguing that the UK needed a stronger national
identity to prevent people from turning to all
kinds of extremism. The speech created a row
and angered some Muslim groups, while others
questioned its timing amid an English Defence
League rally in the UK.
7. Do you think England is a multicultural
country?
• 'In the cities and large towns – yes, because larger populations
mean greater cultural diversity. Rural populations can still be very
insular and unwelcoming though.'
• 'Yes – there are people from all over the world living in England.'
• 'I do – Manchester, for example, has large Chinese, Afro Caribbean
and Indian/South Asian communities within it – plus the vibrant gay
village in the city centre. Many cities in England have good mixes of
cultures and lifestyles.'
• 'Yes, definitely. Our music, films, TV, radio, literature. The strong
religious and cultural communities in cities. The number of 2nd and
3rd generation immigrants that no longer consider themselves
immigrants.'
8. Religion in the UK
Despite falling numbers Christianity remains the largest religion
in England and Wales in 2011. Muslims are the next biggest
religious group and have grown in the last decade. Meanwhile
the proportion of the population who reported they have no
religion has now reached a quarter of the population.
• In the 2011 Census, Christianity was the largest religion, with 33.2
million people (59.3 per cent). The second largest religious group
were Muslims with 2.7 million people (4.8 per cent).
• 14.1 million people, around a quarter of the population in England
and Wales, reported they have no religion in 2011.
• In 2011, London was the most diverse region with the highest
proportion of people identifying themselves as Muslim, Buddhist,
Hindu and Jewish. The North East and North West had the highest
proportion of Christians and Wales had the highest proportion of
people reporting no religion.
10. Polish migrants
The 2001 UK Census recorded 60,711 Polish-born
people resident in the UK. 60,680 of these were
resident in Great Britain (the UK minus Northern
Ireland), compared to 73,951 in 1991. With the
migration that has followed Poland's accession to
the EU, the Polish-born population in the whole
of the UK is estimated to have risen to 515,000 in
the year to March 2010. Unofficial estimates have
put the number of Poles living in the UK higher, at
up to one million.
11. Polish-born people in employment in The UK
At the expansion of the EU including Poland on 1 May
2004, the UK granted free movement to workers from the
new member states.
12. St/ John the evangelist R.C.
Polish Church
St. Andrew Bobola Polish
R.C. Church in London
