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East Asians in the United Kingdom

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See also: British Asians, British East and Southeast Asian, Central Asians in the United Kingdom, and Southeast Asians in the United Kingdom

East Asians in the United Kingdom
Total population
 England and  Wales only:
515,032 – 0.9% (2021)[1] Does not include any East Asians who may be in the 'Other Ethnic Group' as provided by the Office for National Statistics for the 2021 census.
Regions with significant populations
London, Belfast, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, Edinburgh, York
Languages
Cantonese – 55,555
Mandarin Chinese – 30,820
All other Chinese – 118,271
Japanese – 22,548
Korean – 12,117
All other East Asian languages – 12,001
Number of speakers in England & Wales as a main language, of all usual residents aged 3 and over, from the 2021 census.[2]
Religion
Buddhism, Christianity, East Asian religions, Islam, Non-religious, others
Related ethnic groups
Asians
Part of a series on
British people
United Kingdom
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Northern European
Southern European
Western European
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South Asian
Southeast Asian
West Asian
African and Afro-Caribbean
Northern American
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Oceanian

East Asians in the United Kingdom are East Asians living in the United Kingdom. They have been present in the country since the 17th century and primarily originate from countries such as China, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They are called "East Asian" or "Oriental", although – dependent upon the context – the use of the term "Oriental" might be considered by some to be derogatory or offensive.[3][4] In the 2001 British census, the term Chinese or Other is used.

In the 2001 Census, East Asians were included in the "Asian or Asian British" grouping in England and Wales, and in the "Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British" grouping in Scotland.[5] The 2011 Census questionnaire grouped East Asians under a broad "Asian/Asian British" ("Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British" in Scotland) heading in all parts of the UK.[6]

Population history

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East Asian Britons are generally viewed as a distinct ethnic group or identity,[7] and have been academically studied as such.[8] The first settlement of Chinese people in the United Kingdom dates from the early 19th century. In particular were port cities such as Liverpool and London; particularly the Limehouse area in East London. Today, most of the British Chinese are people or are descended from people who were themselves overseas Chinese when they entered the United Kingdom. The majority are from former British colonies, such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and also other countries such as Vietnam. People from mainland China and Taiwan and their descendants constitute a relatively small proportion of the British Chinese community. Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom are people from Hong Kong resident in the United Kingdom, or British nationals of Hong Kong origin. At the time of the 2001 British census, 96,000 people born in Hong Kong were residing in the UK, while 2009 estimates suggest that 78,000 Hong Kong-born people are resident in the UK.

The first Japanese settled in the 1960s, mainly for business and economic purposes. In recent decades this number has been growing; including immigrants, students, and businessmen. Parts of the United Kingdom, in particular London, have significant Japanese populations; such as Golders Green and East Finchley North London. There are approximately 100,000 British Japanese, mostly settled in London and the surrounding South East.

Large numbers of South Koreans began to settle in the U.K. in the 1980s, mostly near London; the highest concentration can be found in the town of New Malden, where estimates of the South Korean population range from 8,000 to as high as 20,000 people.[9][10][11] There are also a few North Koreans; they form the ninth-largest national group of asylum seekers, with a total of 850 applicants, including 245 applications in the first seven months of the year alone, thirteen times the number in all of 2007.[12]

2021 Census

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Country of birth

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The figures below represent data collected for the 2021 United Kingdom census with the country as a reported birthplace recorded (i.e. does not include British born people of East Asian origin). The census in Scotland was delayed for a year and took place in 2022.[13]

State/Territory  England
(2021)[14] 		 Scotland
(2022)[15] 		 Wales
(2021)[14] 		Northern Ireland
(2021)[16] 		 United Kingdom
(2021/22)
 China 176,072 21,396 6,304 4,134 207,906
Hong Kong Hong Kong 117,714 11,901 3,715 1,981 135,311
Japan Japan 34,394 3,985 625 179 –
South Korea South Korea 18,859 340 134
 Taiwan 10,128 163 74
 Macau 2,441 48 36
Mongolia Mongolia 1,819 43 0
North Korea North Korea 525 8
Total 361,952 37,282 11,246 6,464 416,944

Ethnic group

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Ethnic group  England
(2021)[17] 		 Scotland
(2022)[18] 		 Wales
(2021)[17] 		Northern Ireland
(2021)[19] 		 United Kingdom
(2021/22)[a]
Chinese 431,165 47,075 14,454 9,495 502,189
Japanese 29,027 To be published,
only 2011 figures
available[20] 		483 96 29,606
Korean 20,776 342 109 21,227
Taiwanese 4,149 73 15 4,237
Other East Asian 14,295 266 – 14,561
Total 499,412 TBC 15,618 9,715 571,820

Subgroups

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Notable people

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Excluding Scotland, with the exception of the Chinese ethnic group where 2022 census data is available.

References

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  1. ^ "TS:002 Ethnic group (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. ^ "TS024 - Main language (detailed)". Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  3. ^ Verkaik, Robert (13 May 2004). "Judges given new advice on political correctness". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  4. ^ Aspinall, Peter (2005). "Language matters: the vocabulary of racism in health care". Journal of Health Services Research & Policy. 10 (1): 57–59. doi:10.1258/1355819052801769. PMID 15667706.
  5. ^ "A guide to comparing 1991 and 2001 Census ethnic group data" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Ethnic group". Office for National Statistics. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Volume 2", Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, Hastings College of the Law: University of California, 1979, p. 350, Despite the large number of East Asians in England, and their frequent appearance as parties and as counsel before immigration tribunals, there is no immigration adjudicator of East Asian origin.
  8. ^ Górak-Sosnowska, Katarzyna (2019). "Veronika Bajt: The Muslim Other in Slovenia". Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe. Widening the European Discourse on Islam. Faculty of Oriental Studies: University of Warsaw. p. 195. In opposition to Muslim populations of Turks in Germany, East Asians in Britain or Africans in France, who linguistic and "cultural" differences are often argued to be insurmountable
  9. ^ Yi, David (19 July 2008). "Livin' in London". KoreAm Journal. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  10. ^ Benedictus, Leo (21 January 2005). "'This restaurant is a little bit of Korea brought into a very English town': Koreans in New Malden". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  11. ^ Marlow, Peter (2006). "Occupational Health and Safety Factors in the Korean Community" (PDF). United Kingdom: Health and Safety Executive, Department for Work and Pensions. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ Jang, Yong-hun (25 July 2008). "英, 한국 국적 탈북자 추방 방침: RFA (U.K. North Korean refugees with South Korean nationality to be expelled: Radio Free Asia)". Yonhap News. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  13. ^ McNeill, Kirsty (18 March 2021). "March 21st is Census day - but Scotland will have to wait". Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Country of birth (extended)". www.ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  16. ^ "MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail". nisra.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  17. ^ a b "TS022: Ethnic group (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Table UV201 - Ethnic group: Country by Ethnic Group by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  19. ^ "MS-B02 Ethnic group - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Ethnic group (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2015.
  21. ^ Lord Wei (26 February 2012). "Building bridges with East Asia will benefit the UK and promote trade". The Daily Telegraph. n Westminster it's just me at the moment. Strange, given that there are over a million East Asians in the UK alone
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