Census 2021

How life has changed in Milton Keynes City from Census 2011 to Census 2021

Population

Milton Keynes City’s population increased by around 38,200 between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), an increase of 15.4%, from just over 248,800 in 2011 to around 287,000 in 2021.

This means Milton Keynes City’s population saw the second-largest percentage increase in the South East, behind Dartford (where the population increased by 19.9%). The population of the South East increased by 7.5%, while the population of England rose by 6.6%.

Median age

The median age is the age of the person in the middle of the group, meaning that one half of the group is younger than that person and the other half is older. Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age in Milton Keynes City increased by two years, from 35 to 37 years of age. This was lower than the median age for England (40 years).

The number of people aged 35 to 49 years rose by around 9,100 (an increase of 16.1%), while the number of residents aged 4 years and under fell by around 2,200 (10.9% decrease).

Residents’ country of birth

In the latest census, around 206,100 Milton Keynes City residents said they were born in England. This represented 71.8% of the local population. The figure rose from around 194,200 in 2011, which at the time represented 78.1% of Milton Keynes City’s population.

India was the next most represented, with around 8,200 Milton Keynes residents reporting this country of birth (2.9%). This figure was up from just over 4,100 in 2011, which at the time represented 1.7% of the population of Milton Keynes.

The number of Milton Keynes residents born in Romania rose from around 350 in 2011 (0.1% of the local population) to just over 6,100 in 2021 (2.1%).

The top four countries of birth outside of the UK for Milton Keynes City resident in 2021 were:

• India – 2.9%%
• Romania – 2.1%
• Poland – 1.8%
• Ghana – 1.7%%

Fewer couples without children

Milton Keynes City saw the South East’s joint second-largest percentage-point fall (alongside Sevenoaks) in the proportion of households including a couple but no children (from 19.3% in 2011 to 16.6% in 2021).

Across the South East, the percentage of households including a couple but no children fell from 18.7% to 17.4%, while the percentage in nearby West Northamptonshire fell from 20.3% to 18.2%.

Disability

Milton Keynes City saw the South East’s second-largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot (from 8.8% in 2011 to 6.9% in 2021). These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

Across the region, only Slough saw a greater fall in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot (from 9.7% to 7.0%).

Every local authority area across the South East saw a fall in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot, as the regional proportion fell from 7.2% to 6.2%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived their health status and activity limitations, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Please note: Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

Religion

In 2021, 38.0% of Milton Keynes City residents reported having “No religion”, up from 31.3% in 2011. The rise of 6.6 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Milton Keynes City. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

Across the South East, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having “No religion” increased from 27.7% to 40.2%, while across England the percentage increased from 24.8% to 36.7%.

In 2021, 42.8% of people in Milton Keynes City described themselves as Christian (down from 52.8%), while 7.1% described themselves as Muslim (up from 4.8% the decade before).

Please note: Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses. There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which someone connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.

National identity

In 2021, 14.5% of Milton Keynes City residents did not identify with any national identity associated with the UK. This figure increased from 11.3% in 2011.

In 2021, just over 1 in 40 people (2.8%) identified with a UK and non-UK national identity, compared with 1.1% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Milton Keynes City that identified as “British only” increased from 20.4% to 55.1%.

The increase in the percentage of people who did not identify with any national identity associated with the UK was greater in Milton Keynes City (3.2 percentage points) than across the South East (1.6 percentage points, from 7.1% to 8.7%). Across England, the percentage increased by 1.7 percentage points, from 8.2% to 10.0%.

In Census 2021, “British” was moved to the top response option and this may have influenced how people described their national identity. For further information, please see our quality report.

Ethnic groups

In 2021, 12.4% of Milton Keynes City residents identified their ethnic group within the “Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh” category, up from 9.2% in 2011. The 3.3 percentage-point change was the largest increase among high-level ethnic groups in this area.

Across the South East, the percentage of people from the “Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh” ethnic group increased from 5.2% to 7.0%, while across England the percentage increased from 7.8% to 9.6%.

In 2021, 71.8% of people in Milton Keynes City identified their ethnic group within the “White” category (compared with 80.0% in 2011), while 9.7% identified their ethnic group within the “Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African” category (compared with 6.9% the previous decade).

The percentage of people who identified their ethnic group within the “Mixed or Multiple” category increased from 3.3% in 2011 to 4.1% in 2021.

Please note: There are many factors that may be contributing to the changing ethnic composition of England and Wales, such as differing patterns of ageing, fertility, mortality, and migration. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses.

Rise in private renting

Of Milton Keynes City’s households, 20.9% rented privately in 2021, up from 17.3% in 2011.

In 2021, just over one in six households (18.1%) lived in socially rented housing, compared with 18.0% in 2011. The percentage of Milton Keynes City households that owned their home (outright or with a mortgage or loan) decreased from 57.7% to 54.8%.

The increase in the percentage of privately-rented homes was greater in Milton Keynes City (3.6 percentage points) than across the South East (2.9 percentage points, from 16.3% to 19.2%). Across England, the percentage increased by 3.6 percentage points, from 16.8% to 20.5%.

Unpaid care

In 2021, 4.0% of Milton Keynes City residents (aged five years and over) reported providing up to 19 hours of unpaid care each week. This figure decreased from 6.5% in 2011. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

In 2021, just under 1 in 50 people (1.7%) reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.4% in 2011. The proportion of Milton Keynes City residents (aged five years and over) that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care remained at 2.5%.

The decrease in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care in Milton Keynes City (2.5 percentage points) was similar to the decrease across the South East (2.8 percentage points, from 7.3% to 4.5%). Across England, the proportion fell by 2.8 percentage points, from 7.2% to 4.4%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and managed their provision of unpaid care, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

Changing relationships

In 2021, 9.3% of Milton Keynes City residents (aged 16 years and over) said they had got divorced or dissolved a civil partnership. This figure decreased from 9.6% in 2011.

Milton Keynes City saw the South East’s joint third-largest fall (alongside Oxford) in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership.

These figures include same-sex marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2021, neither of which were legally recognised in England and Wales in 2011. Same-sex marriages have been legally recognised in England and Wales since 2014 and opposite-sex civil partnerships have been recognised since 2019.

Change in employment

Of Milton Keynes City residents aged 16 years and over, 61.8% said they were employed (excluding full-time students) in 2021, down from 64.0% in 2011.

In 2021, just under 1 in 30 people (3.1%) said they were unemployed, compared with 4.5% in 2011. The percentage of retired Milton Keynes City residents increased from 15.4% to 16.7%.

The decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed was greater in Milton Keynes City (2.3 percentage points) than across the South East (1.3 percentage points, from 59.0% to 57.6%). Across England, the percentage fell by 0.8 percentage points, from 56.5% to 55.7%.

Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of rapid and unparalleled change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the labour market and our ability to measure it.

Fewer adults working long hours

In 2021, 9.7% of Milton Keynes City residents aged 16 years and over and in employment said they worked over 49 hours per week. This figure decreased from 12.9% in 2011.

The decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked over 49 hours per week was greater in Milton Keynes City (3.2 percentage points) than across the South East (2.7 percentage points, from 14.6% to 11.9%). Across England, the percentage fell by 2.2 percentage points, from 13.3% to 11.1%.

Please note: Working hours may have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Health

In 2021, 47.4% of Milton Keynes City residents described their health as “very good”, increasing from 44.9% in 2011. Those describing their health as “good” fell from 35.9% to 34.8%.

The proportion of Milton Keynes City residents describing their health as “very bad” was 1.1% (similar to 2011), while those describing their health as “bad” fell from 4.2% to 3.8%.

These are age-standardised proportions. Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

Please note: These data reflect people’s own opinions in describing their overall health on a five point scale, from very good to very bad.

Census 2021 was conducted during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and rated their health, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

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About the data:

• Main points taken from stated ONS bulletins
• Census data are adjusted to reflect estimated non-response so that the published results relate to the entire usually resident population as it was on Census Day (21 March 2021).
• Those respondents who were on furlough because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were asked to classify themselves as “temporarily away from work” to ensure they remained in the economically active population.
• Students are counted as usually resident at their term-time address even if they were not physically present there on Census Day.
• The questions relating to disability differed slightly between 2011 and 2021 to ensure that data were more closely aligned with the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010). There was also a change to question wording for unpaid care, for more information read the health, disability and unpaid care quality information.
• Age-standardised proportions are used throughout the health, disability and unpaid care sections. They allow for fairer comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure. The 2013 European Standard Population is used to standardise proportions.
• Percentages and percentage point changes have been individually rounded to one decimal place. This means they may not sum exactly.