Demographics of the British Empire facts for kids
The British Empire was a massive collection of countries and lands ruled by Great Britain. By 1913, it was so big that it included over 412 million people. That was about a quarter of everyone living in the world at that time! This empire grew over many centuries, and its population changed a lot as new lands were added or as populations grew in different areas.
People of the British Empire
The British Empire was home to a huge number of people from many different places. The largest group of people in the empire lived in British India, which today includes countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Where people lived in the British Empire (1925) British India (70.9986%) British Africa (10.6836%) United Kingdom (10.5308%) Other Asian colonies (2.9769%) British North America (2.0139%) Australasia and Pacific (1.6925%) Other colonies (1.1037%)
Over time, the population of the British Empire grew significantly. For example, in 1814, the total population was around 61 million people. By 1925, it had grown to nearly 450 million! This growth shows how much the empire expanded and how many people lived under British rule.
Different Backgrounds
People in the British Empire were often grouped by their background. There were people of European descent, often called "white," and people of non-European descent, sometimes called "persons of color" or "natives."
The largest group of people in the empire were Indians. They came from many different language groups, but they were all part of the vast population of British India. For example, in 1901, there were over 294 million non-white people in British India, compared to about 170,000 white people. This shows how diverse the empire was, with most of its population living outside of Europe.
Religions in the Empire
The British rulers were mainly Protestant Christians. However, the empire included people from many different faiths.
| Religions in the British Empire (1901) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Territory | Percent | |||
| Hinduism | 52.4% | |||
| Islam | 23.7% | |||
| Christianity | 14.6% | |||
| Buddhism | 3% | |||
| Paganism and others | 6.3% | |||
| How religions were spread out in the British Empire (1901) | ||||
In 1901, the most common religion in the British Empire was Hinduism, with over 208 million followers. This was because of the huge population in British India, where Hinduism is widely practiced. The second most common religion was Islam, with about 94 million followers. Christianity was the third largest religion, with around 58 million people. Other religions like Buddhism and various traditional beliefs also had millions of followers across the empire. This mix of religions shows the incredible diversity of cultures and beliefs that existed within the British Empire.
See also
