Newham in the 2001
Census - a synopsis
The population of Newham shifted
significantly between 1991 and 2001, growing by 13 per cent over
that period of time - the third largest change in
London.
Newham's population has increased from 216,300 to
244,300 over the last ten years. The proportion of the population
under the age of 19 has increased by 23 per cent in this period,
with a decrease of 11 percent in those aged 55 and over.
Newham has a very young age structure, with the highest proportion
of children under the age of one in the country, and the lowest
proportion of population over the age of 65.
Newham has the highest proportion of population aged 0-24 in
England in Wales (41 percent), while London as a whole has 31
percent of its population in this age range. Newham has increased
its proportion of 0-19 year olds by 23 percent since 1991, but this
growth is expected to slow, given a dropping birthrate.
Ethnicity
Newham has the highest proportion of non-White
ethnic groups in the country, with 61 per cent of the population
drawn from Mixed, Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British,
Chinese or other ethnic group (Brent has the highest proportion of
ethnic population when White British is excluded).
Newham has the second highest proportion of Asian population in
England and Wales, with the second largest proportion of
Bangladeshis in England and Wales (Tower Hamlets leads in both
these statistics). It also has the second highest proportion of
Black Africans in England and Wales.
Unemployment
Newham has an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent of
all economically active people aged 16-74 - the second highest rate
of unemployment in London, behind Hackney.
Economic
activity
Newham has the lowest proportion of economically
active population (those who are in work or seeking work, aged
16-74) in London; of its economically inactive population, the
majority are not active due to looking after their home or family
(10.4 percent).
As Newham has such a large number of young children, this high
level of economic inactivity can be due in part to women staying at
home and looking after children and the home. But in looking at
only the economic activity of men, Newham becomes second lowest for
its rate of economic activity with 68.5 percent of men engaged in
the labour market.
Of the total population who are unemployed and seeking work, Newham
has the highest proportion (21 percent) who have never worked. This
high level of those who have never worked may be due, in part, to
the large proportion of youth unemployment (25.2 percent) - the
seventh highest in London. At 18.1 percent, Newham's Male
unemployment in those who have never worked is the highest
proportion of the total population.
Social class
Social class definitions have altered since the 1991
Census, and are no longer directly comparable. The new definitions
are included in the Neighbourhood Statistics Socio-economic
Classification (NSSeC) and can be found on the
National Statistics website.
Newham has the joint lowest proportion of population (with Barking
and Dagenham) in Higher managerial occupations, and has the second
highest proportion of population in Semi-routine occupations.
Qualifications
Newham has the third highest proportion of
population aged 16-74 with no qualifications in London - 34
percent. Although, the percentage of those with degree
qualifications in Newham is higher than the national average; we
are ranked 28th in London.
However, Newham has the second highest proportion of full-time
students and schoolchildren aged 16-74 in London (12.8 percent),
indicating perhaps the intention of Newham's population to gain
qualifications in the future.
Migration
Migration is measured in the 2001 Census in a
question about where respondents lived one year prior to that year.
The response to this question does not show Newham as having
exceptionally high migration rates compared to other London
boroughs, for either white or non-white ethnic groups.
Although Newham does rank highly for population born outside the UK
and EU, the inflow of those from outside the UK does not rank
highly, with Newham coming 19th in London, below the Inner London
and London averages for all groups. It is ranked 24th in London for
inflow of population from non-white ethnic groups from outside the
UK.
Religion
Newham has the fourth smallest proportion of
Christians in England and Wales, 47 per cent. Its second largest
religious group is Muslim, with 24 per cent of the population
compared to the London statistic of 8 per cent, and Newham's Muslim
community comprise the second largest proportion in England and
Wales.
Households
Newham has 91,821 households according to the 2001
Census.
Tenure
Although the majority of homes are in
owner-occupation (owned outright, mortgaged or shared-ownership),
this proportion of 43.6 percent is comparatively low in London
where 56.5 per cent of homes are owner-occupied, and this has
dropped by 6.2 per cent since 1991.
Dwelling
type
Newham's dwellingstock has a high proportion of
terraced houses, with just over 45 per of properties in this form,
compared with the London average of nearly 26 per cent.
Overcrowding
Newham's housing has a higher proportion of
overcrowding (as measured by occupancy of -1 or less), and a higher
proportion of homes which lack one or more amenities (central
heating, sole use of bath/shower or toilet) than London as a
whole.
Over one-quarter of households are overcrowded, lacking at least
one room for the number and type of people in the household. Newham
is 7th in the rankings for this measure of overcrowding.
Household
size
Newham has the largest average household size (2.64)
in England and Wales, although this has decreased from 1991 when it
was 2.67.
Household
composition
Newham has the highest proportion of households with
dependent children and households with dependent children aged 0-4
in England and Wales. Newham is ranked highest in England and Wales
for households with dependent children with no person in
employment.
The proportion of households in Newham that are lone parents with
dependent children is the highest in England and Wales.
There has been a decline in lone pensioners from 13.5 per cent of
all households in 1991 to 11.0 per cent in 2001 (a decline from
10,826 households to 10,140 households), consistent with the
demographic change in Newham to a younger population
structure.
Lone
parents
Newham has the highest proportion of lone parent
households in England and Wales, but has the second lowest
proportion of female lone parents in part-time employment.
Two-thirds of all lone parents with dependent children in Newham
are unemployed.
Health
68 per cent of residents describe their health as
"good" - this is the third lowest proportion in London. 17.3 per
cent of the population said they had a "limiting long-term illness"
- a proxy for poor health and disability - and this was the fifth
highest proportion in London.
Newham also has the fifth highest proportion who describe
themselves as having health that is "not good" - 10.1 percent.