Nepalese in the United Kingdom

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Nepalese in the United Kingdom
Gurkha Soldier Monument, London - April 2008.jpg
A monument of a Nepalese Gurkha Soldier near the Ministry of Defence in London
Total population
Ethnic Nepali:
88,461 (England and Wales only, 2021) [a] [1]
Nepali-born residents
78,619 (England and Wales only, 2021)
Regions with significant populations
London  · South East England (Rushmoor)
Languages
English  · Nepali  · Nepal Bhasa  · Limbu  · Gurung  · Magar
Religion
Hinduism  · Buddhism  · Kirant Mundhum  · Christian
Related ethnic groups
Nepali people{{.}}Madhesi Nepalese  · Gurung  · Limbu  · Rai  · Magar  · Chhetri  · Newar
  1. Including Gurkha

According to ONS estimates in 2019 there were 76,000 Nepalese citizens and Nepalese British citizens in the United Kingdom. [2]

Contents

History

From the first quarter of the 19th century, Gurkhas from Nepal served in the British Army, and Gurkha soldiers' families lived in the UK. People from Nepal living in the UK belong to many different Nepalese ethnic groups or castes and may have different languages although all speak Nepali as a mother tongue.

In 1965, the first settlement of London's Nepalese community was made at 145 Whitfield Street in Camden. A commemorative plaque now stands on the site. [3]

Demographics

The 2001 UK Census recorded 5,943 Nepali-born people were residing in the UK. [4] In 2008, the president of the Himalayan Yeti Nepalese Association was reporting as estimating that up to 50,000 Nepalese might be living in the UK. [5] The 2011 UK Census recorded 48,497 people born in Nepal living in England, 1,011 in Wales, [6] 1,268 in Scotland [7] and 105 in Northern Ireland. [8] Office for National Statistics estimates suggest that 62,000 Nepalese-born people were resident in the UK in 2016. [9]

At the time of the 2011 census, the regions with the largest Nepalese-born populations were London and South East England, with 19,051 and 19,111 people respectively. [6] In particular there are significant communities in Aldershot [10] and Folkestone [11] due to links with the British Army. Of the 49,508 Nepalese-born in England and Wales, 56 per cent stated that they were Hindus, 25.9 per cent Buddhists and 3.8 per cent Christians. 1.7 per cent stated that they did not have a religion and a small number specified other religions. 11.8 per cent did not provide an answer to the religion question. [12] 52.9 per cent of the Nepalese-born population of England and Wales had arrived during the period 2007 to 2011, 34.6 per cent between 2001 and 2006, 11.4 per cent between 1981 and 2000, and 1.1 per cent prior to 1981. [12]

Religion of Nepalese Born - England and Wales [13]
ReligionCensus 2021
Number%
Om.svg Hinduism 40,55351.6%
Dharma Wheel.svg Buddhism 20,51326.1%
Other Religions6,2267.9%
No Religion3,9665.0%
Gold Christian Cross no Red.svg Christianity 3,5324.5%
Star and Crescent.svg Islam 1790.2%
Star of David.svg Judaism 170.0%
Khanda.svg Sikhism 160.0%
Not Stated3,6174.6%
Total78,619100%

The London borough with the highest Nepalese born residents was Greenwich with 4,853 people. [14]

Employment

As of 1 April 2019, 3,430 Gurkhas were serving in the British Army. [15] According to the 2001 UK census, 34.8 per cent of Nepalese-born people in London were working in hotels or restaurants, 15.7 per cent in real estate and renting, 15.3 per cent in wholesale and retail, 9.6 per cent in health and social care. [5]

Notable individuals

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Wales</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of England</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 United Kingdom census</span> Nationwide census in the United Kingdom in 2001

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Scotland</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in the United Kingdom</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of London</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White British</span> Ethnic classification used in the 2011 United Kingdom Census

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filipinos in the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

Filipinos in the United Kingdom are British citizens or immigrants who are of Filipino ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaniards in the United Kingdom</span> British residents of Spanish descent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese in the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romanians in the United Kingdom</span> Group of foreigners in the country

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealanders in the United Kingdom</span> Citizens or residents of the UK who originate from New Zealand

New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom who originate from New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Irish</span> Ethnicity classification used in the United Kingdom Census

White Irish is an ethnicity classification used in the census in the United Kingdom for England, Scotland and Wales. In the 2021 census, the White Irish population was 564,342 or 0.9% of Great Britain's total population. This was a slight fall from the 2011 census which recorded 585,177 or 1% of the total population.

References

  1. "TS:002 Ethnic group (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2019 to December 2019". Office for National Statistics. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals .
  3. "Plaque: Nepali Community". Londonremembers.com. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  4. "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . Retrieved 2008-12-30.
  5. 1 2 Sims, Jessica Mai (2008). Soldiers, Migrants and Citizens: The Nepalese in Britain (PDF). London: Runnymede Trust. ISBN   978-1-906732-09-7.
  6. 1 2 "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  7. "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2016 to December 2016". Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals .
  10. "Gurkha memorial in Aldershot gets finishing touches". BBC News. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  11. "BBC Inside Out - Gurkhas". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  12. 1 2 "CT0265 - Country of birth by year of arrival by religion". Office for National Statistics. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. "Country of birth (extended) by religion - Office for National Statistics".
  14. "Detailed Country of birth (2011 Census), Borough – London Datastore".
  15. "UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics 1 April 2019" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 16 May 2019. p. 4. Retrieved 27 July 2019.