East Asians in the United Kingdom facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
 England and  Wales only:515,032 – 0.9% (2021)
|
|
| 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. |
|
| Religion | |
| Buddhism, Christianity, East Asian religions, Islam, Non-religious, others | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Asians |
East Asians in the United Kingdom are people from East Asia who live in the UK. They have been part of the country's population for a long time, since the 1600s. Most of them come from countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Sometimes, people use the term "Oriental" to describe East Asians. However, this word can be seen as old-fashioned or even offensive by some. In official surveys like the 2001 British census, East Asians were often grouped under "Chinese or Other" or "Asian or Asian British."
Contents
Who Lives in the UK from East Asia?
People from East Asia are often seen as a special group in the UK. They have their own unique cultures and histories.
Chinese People in the UK
The first Chinese people came to the United Kingdom in the early 1800s. Many settled in port cities like Liverpool and London. A famous area for Chinese settlers was Limehouse in East London.
Today, most British Chinese people are either from other countries or their families moved from there. Many came from former British colonies like Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Some also came from Vietnam. People from mainland China and Taiwan make up a smaller part of the British Chinese community.
Many people from Hong Kong live in the UK. In 2001, about 96,000 people born in Hong Kong lived here. By 2009, this number was around 78,000.
Japanese People in the UK
The first Japanese people started settling in the UK in the 1960s. They mostly came for business or work. Over the years, more Japanese people have moved to the UK. This includes students and business people.
Many Japanese people live in London, especially in areas like Golders Green and East Finchley. There are about 100,000 British Japanese people in total. Most of them live in London and the surrounding South East area.
Korean People in the UK
Large numbers of South Koreans began to settle in the UK in the 1980s. Most of them live near London. The biggest group of South Koreans can be found in the town of New Malden. It's estimated that between 8,000 and 20,000 South Koreans live there.
A small number of North Koreans also live in the UK. They are one of the larger groups of people seeking safety here.
Where Were People Born?
These numbers show where people living in the UK were born. This data comes from the 2021 United Kingdom census. The census in Scotland happened a year later, in 2022.
| Country | England (2021) |
 Scotland(2022) |
Wales (2021) |
Northern Ireland (2021) |
 United Kingdom(2021/22) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 China |
176,072 | 21,396 | 6,304 | 4,134 | 207,906 |
 Hong Kong |
117,714 | 11,901 | 3,715 | 1,981 | 135,311 |
 Japan |
34,394 | 3,985 | 625 | 179 | – |
 South Korea |
18,859 | 340 | 134 | ||
 Taiwan |
10,128 | 163 | 74 | ||
 Macau |
2,441 | 48 | 36 | ||
 Mongolia |
1,819 | 43 | 0 | ||
 North Korea |
525 | 8 | |||
| Total | 361,952 | 37,282 | 11,246 | 6,464 | 416,944 |
What Ethnic Groups Are There?
This table shows how people identified their ethnic group in the 2021/2022 UK census.
| Ethnic group | England (2021) |
Scotland (2022) |
Wales (2021) |
Northern Ireland (2021) |
United Kingdom (2021/22) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 431,165 | 47,075 | 14,454 | 9,495 | 502,189 |
| Japanese | 29,027 | To be published, only 2011 figures available |
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 |
Main Groups of East Asians
Here are some of the main groups of East Asians living in the UK:
Famous People
- Nat Wei, Baron Wei is a notable person of East Asian background. In 2012, he wrote for The Telegraph. He said he was the only East Asian person working in politics in Westminster, which is where the UK Parliament is.
