DescriptionBlack British people are a multi-ethnic group with roots across Africa and the Caribbean. Explore their history, demographics, culture, and community life in the UK.

Black British People — History, Identity and Community | Black British

Black British people or Black Britons are a multi-ethnic group of British people who have ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

The term black has historically had a number of applications as a racial and political label. It may also be used in a wider sociopolitical context to encompass a broader range of non-European ethnic minority populations in Britain, though this usage has become less common over time. Black British is one of several self-designation entries used in official UK ethnicity classifications.

The England and Wales Black population (Census 2021) comprises:

1,650,000+

— Black African

643,000

— Black Caribbean

~116,000

— Other Black background

UK-wide totals require separate verification against Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021.

Black British people make up 4.0% of the total population of England and Wales (56.5 million in 2021).

England-only breakdown:

England:

4.2% of England's population

Wales:

0.9% (29,000)

UK-wide share requires separate verification against Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021. Almost 96% of Black British people in England and Wales live in England.

London has the highest concentration of Black British people in the UK, with 1,209,084 residents (13.5% of London's 8.9 million population).

Top London boroughs by Black population:

Lewisham:

26.77%

Southwark:

25.13%

Lambeth:

23.97%

Croydon:

22.64%

Barking and Dagenham:

21.39%

Hackney:

21.09%

Greenwich:

20.96%

Enfield:

18.34%

Haringey:

17.58%

Brent:

17.51%

48.6% of Black British people in England and Wales were born in the UK, representing a significant second and third generation population.

By ethnic group:

Black Caribbean:

59.7% UK-born

Black African:

38.5% UK-born

Other Black:

65.2% UK-born

The Caribbean community has deeper generational roots, with many families tracing back to the Windrush generation (1948–1971).

Source: ONS Census 2021 · Scotland's Census 2022 · NISRA Census 2021

Black British most commonly refers to Black people from Commonwealth nations including the British West Indies and West Africa. In the 1970s the term was also applied more broadly as a political label encompassing South Asian communities in solidarity against racism. This wider political usage has become less common over time.

Official UK census classification uses Black African, Black Caribbean, and Other Black as distinct categories. These categories allow for more detailed demographic analysis while recognising the diversity within the Black British community.

The term Black British came into widespread use with the second generation born to post-war migrants. It emphasises both racial identity and British citizenship, reflecting a community that is both rooted in African and Caribbean heritage and fully part of British society.

African presence in Britain has been documented from Roman times through to the early medieval period. Archaeological and historical evidence confirms a small but continuous Black presence over many centuries.

John Blanke served as royal trumpeter at the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Parish records from Elizabethan London document African men and women living and working across the city.

Port cities including London, Liverpool, and Bristol developed Black communities through the transatlantic slave trade era. Abolitionists Olaudah Equiano and Ignatius Sancho became prominent public voices demanding freedom and equality.

The Slavery Abolition Act ended slavery across most of the British Empire.

HMT Empire Windrush carried the first large wave of Caribbean migrants to Britain, beginning a generation-defining period of migration and community building.

Post-war Black British identity developed through community institutions, political activism, and cultural expression as legislation sought to restrict further migration.

The first census in Great Britain to record ethnicity showed a Black population of 890,727.

Census 2021 recorded 2,409,283 people identifying as Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African in England and Wales — 4.0% of the population, the highest ever recorded. UK-wide totals require separate verification against Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021.

Read our full Black British History page →

According to GOV.UK Ethnicity Facts and Figures, 2,409,283 people identified as Black, Black British, Caribbean or African in England and Wales in Census 2021, representing 4.0% of the England and Wales population. UK-wide figures require separate verification against Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021.

London is the principal centre of Black British population, with 13.5 per cent of the capital's residents identifying as Black. The boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark, and Lambeth have the highest concentrations.

Outside London, significant Black British communities exist in Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, and Leeds.

Explore our full UK Black Demographics page →

England and Wales with Northern Ireland comparative summary. Scotland not included.

66.9%

Christianity

17.3%

Islam

8.6%

No religion

6.4%

Not stated

0.8%

Other faiths

Supplied page summary using 2021 Census data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland not included in this summary.

Multicultural London English (MLE) emerged in the late 20th century as a distinct variety of English spoken primarily by young people in London's diverse communities.

Key influences:

Jamaican Patois:

Vocabulary, pronunciation patterns, and grammatical structures from Caribbean English

African languages:

Yoruba, Twi, Somali, and other African language influences on rhythm and intonation

Regional British dialects:

Cockney, Estuary English, and other London varieties

MLE is widely spoken across Black British communities and has influenced mainstream British speech, particularly among young people in urban areas.

Many Black British people are multilingual, speaking English alongside heritage languages including Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, Somali, French, Portuguese, and Caribbean Creoles.

Black British musicians have pioneered multiple genres that have shaped global music culture:

Jungle and Drum & Bass (1990s):

Emerged from London's rave scene, blending breakbeats, reggae basslines, and electronic production

UK Garage (late 1990s):

Developed from house music with Caribbean influences, spawning subgenres including 2-step and dubstep

Grime (early 2000s):

Born in East London, combining UK garage, jungle, and hip-hop with distinctly British lyrical content

Afrobeats UK (2010s–present):

British artists blending Nigerian and Ghanaian Afrobeats with UK rap and R&B

The MOBO Awards

(Music of Black Origin), established in 1996 by Kanya King, celebrate music of Black origin annually and have become a major fixture in the British music calendar.

Notable Black British musicians include Stormzy, Skepta, Little Simz, Dave, Jorja Smith, Sade, Soul II Soul, and many others who have achieved international recognition.

The Voice

newspaper, founded in 1982 by Val McCalla, remains Britain's only national Black weekly newspaper, covering news, politics, culture, and community affairs relevant to Black British readers.

Black-led publishers:

New Beacon Books (1966):

Britain's oldest Black publisher and bookshop, founded by John La Rose

Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications (1969):

Founded by Jessica and Eric Huntley, publishing Caribbean and African literature

Tamarind Books (1987):

Children's publisher focusing on multicultural books

Jacaranda Books (2012):

Contemporary publisher championing diverse voices

Notable Black British authors:

Bernardine Evaristo (first Black British writer to win the Booker Prize), Zadie Smith, Andrea Levy, Benjamin Zephaniah, Malorie Blackman, and many others.

Black British media also includes online platforms, podcasts, and social media channels that have become important spaces for community discussion and cultural expression.

Sport:

Football:

Black players have been integral to English football since the 1970s, with current stars including Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Raheem Sterling

Athletics:

Dina Asher-Smith, Linford Christie, Denise Lewis, and many others have won Olympic and World Championship medals

Formula One:

Lewis Hamilton has won seven world championships, equalling Michael Schumacher's record

Boxing:

Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams, and Lennox Lewis are among Britain's most celebrated boxers

Politics and Public Service:

Diane Abbott (1987):

First Black woman elected to Parliament

Paul Boateng (2002):

First Black Cabinet minister

David Lammy, Dawn Butler, Kemi Badenoch:

Current prominent MPs

Baroness Lawrence:

Campaigner and member of the House of Lords

Black British people have also made significant contributions to medicine, law, academia, business, and the arts, shaping British society across every field.

Explore our Culture and Society section →

Black British people have shaped British life across every field, from sport and politics to medicine, law, literature, and the arts.

Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was an African writer and abolitionist who played a significant role in the campaign to abolish the slave trade.

Born in what is now Nigeria, Equiano was enslaved as a child and transported to the Caribbean and North America. He eventually purchased his freedom and settled in London.

His autobiography,

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

(1789), became one of the first widely-read slave narratives and a powerful tool in the abolitionist movement.

Equiano travelled extensively across Britain giving lectures and campaigning for abolition. His work influenced public opinion and contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807.

Mary Seacole was a British-Jamaican nurse and businesswoman who cared for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War (1853–1856).

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Scottish father and Jamaican mother, Seacole learned traditional Caribbean and African herbal medicine from her mother, who ran a boarding house for invalid soldiers.

When the Crimean War broke out, Seacole travelled to England and applied to join Florence Nightingale's nursing corps but was refused. Undeterred, she funded her own journey to Crimea and established the "British Hotel" near Balaclava, where she treated wounded soldiers from both sides.

Her autobiography,

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands

(1857), was one of the first autobiographies by a Black woman published in Britain. In 2004, she was voted the greatest Black Briton in a public poll.

Walter Tull was a professional footballer and British Army officer during the First World War. He was one of the first Black professional footballers in Britain and the first Black officer in the British Army to lead white troops into battle.

Born in Folkestone to a Barbadian father and English mother, Tull played for Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town before the war.

When war broke out in 1914, Tull enlisted and served with distinction. Despite military regulations prohibiting "any negro or person of colour" from becoming an officer, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1917.

Tull was killed in action during the Second Battle of the Somme in March 1918. He was recommended for the Military Cross for "gallantry and coolness" but never received it. Campaigns continue to this day for him to be posthumously awarded the honour.

Diane Abbott made history in 1987 when she became the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons, representing Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

Born in London to Jamaican parents, Abbott studied History at Newnham College, Cambridge, before working as a civil servant and journalist.

During her time in Parliament, Abbott has served as Shadow Home Secretary (2016–2017) and has been a vocal advocate for racial equality, civil liberties, and social justice.

She has faced significant racist and sexist abuse throughout her career but has remained a prominent voice in British politics for over three decades. In 2020, research found she received almost half of all abusive tweets sent to female MPs.

Lewis Hamilton is a British racing driver who has won seven Formula One World Championships, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers in the history of the sport.

Born in Stevenage to a Black British father and white mother, Hamilton began karting at age eight. His father worked multiple jobs to fund his early racing career.

Hamilton made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007 and won his first championship in 2008, becoming the sport's youngest world champion at the time. He has since won six more titles with Mercedes (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

Beyond racing, Hamilton has been a vocal advocate for diversity in motorsport and broader social justice issues. He established the Hamilton Commission in 2020 to research barriers facing Black people in UK motorsport and STEM careers. He was knighted in 2021.

Bernardine Evaristo is a British author who became the first Black woman and first Black British person to win the Booker Prize in 2019 for her novel

Girl, Woman, Other

Born in London to a Nigerian father and English mother, Evaristo studied Theatre at Rose Bruford College and co-founded Theatre of Black Women in 1982.

She has published eight books of fiction and verse fiction exploring the African diaspora, identity, and history. Her work includes

The Emperor's Babe

(2001),

Blonde Roots

(2008), and

Mr Loverman

(2013).

Evaristo was appointed OBE in 2009 and DBE in 2020 for services to literature. She was also the first Black British woman to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has been Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London since 2013.

Steve McQueen is a British film director, producer, screenwriter, and video artist. In 2014, he became the first Black filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Picture for

12 Years a Slave

Born in London to Grenadian and Trinidadian parents, McQueen studied art at Goldsmiths College and the Tisch School of the Arts. He first gained recognition as a visual artist, winning the Turner Prize in 1999.

His films include

Hunger

(2008),

Shame

(2011),

(2013),

Widows

(2018), and the anthology series

Small Axe

(2020), which explored the lives of London's West Indian community from the 1960s to 1980s.

McQueen was appointed CBE in 2011 and knighted in 2020. He continues to work across film and visual art, addressing themes of race, history, and social justice.

Stormzy (Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr.) is a British rapper, singer, and songwriter who has become one of the most prominent figures in UK grime and hip-hop.

Born in Croydon to Ghanaian parents, Stormzy gained attention through YouTube freestyle videos before releasing his debut album

Gang Signs & Prayer

in 2017, which became the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart.

His second album,

Heavy Is the Head

(2019), also debuted at number one. He has won multiple BRIT Awards, MOBO Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award.

Beyond music, Stormzy has been a vocal advocate for racial justice and education. In 2018, he established the Stormzy Scholarship, funding Black British students to attend the University of Cambridge. He has also been outspoken on issues including the Grenfell Tower fire and racial inequality in the UK.

View our full Notable Black British People page →

Office for National Statistics · Scotland's Census, National Records of Scotland · Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Wikipedia — Black British people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_British_people

Last updated using Census 2021 data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Census 2022 data for Scotland.

Hide details

View breakdown

Show less

Hide biography

Read biography

description

canonical

https://blackbritish.org.uk/black-british-people

og:type

article

og:url

og:title

Black British People — History, Identity and Community

og:description

UK Black Demographics

twitter:card

summary

twitter:url

twitter:title

twitter:description

application/ld+json

@context

https://schema.org

@graph

@type

BreadcrumbList

itemListElement

ListItem

position

name

item

https://blackbritish.org.uk/

Black British People

headline

keywords

Black Britons

Black British history

Black British identity

Black British community

author

Organization

Black British

dateModified

2026-04-09

Exploring the history, identity, demographics, culture, and community life of Black British people across the United Kingdom.

mb-12

text-lg leading-relaxed

2,409,283

Black population, England & Wales

GOV.UK Ethnicity Facts and Figures, Census 2021

mb-3

space-y-2 text-sm

mt-3 text-sm

4.0%

Of England & Wales population

ONS Census 2021

s population Wales: 0.9% (29,000) UK-wide share requires separate verification against Scotland

13.5%

Of London's population

Census 2021

48.6%

Born in the UK

England and Wales Census 2021

leading-relaxed mb-4

leading-relaxed

mb-16

space-y-6

border-l-4 pl-6

text-muted-foreground leading-relaxed

mt-6

/population

text-sm text-muted-foreground

Language

Multicultural London English has developed as a distinct variety shaped by Jamaican Patois, African languages, and regional British dialects.

text-sm

Music

Black British communities have been central to the development of jungle, grime, drum and bass, dubstep, and UK garage.

Media and Publishing

The Voice, founded in 1982, is Britain's only national Black weekly newspaper. Black-led publishers have produced a significant body of Black British literature.

s only national Black weekly newspaper, covering news, politics, culture, and community affairs relevant to Black British readers. Black-led publishers: New Beacon Books (1966): Britain

Ouverture Publications (1969): Founded by Jessica and Eric Huntley, publishing Caribbean and African literature Tamarind Books (1987): Children

Sport and Public Life

Black British people have made outstanding contributions to British sport, politics, medicine, law, and the arts.

s record Boxing: Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams, and Lennox Lewis are among Britain

/relationships

Olaudah Equiano

Abolitionist and writer

c. 1745–1797

Mary Seacole

Crimean War nurse

1805–1881

British Hotel

Walter Tull

First World War officer and footballer

1888–1918

any negro or person of colour

gallantry and coolness

Diane Abbott

Born 1953

Lewis Hamilton

Seven-time Formula One world champion

Born 1985

s record. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers in the history of the sport. Born in Stevenage to a Black British father and white mother, Hamilton began karting at age eight. His father worked multiple jobs to fund his early racing career. Hamilton made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007 and won his first championship in 2008, becoming the sport

Bernardine Evaristo

First Black British writer to win the Man Booker Prize

Born 1959

Steve McQueen

First Black filmmaker to win Best Picture Oscar

Born 1969

Stormzy

Musician and cultural figure

Born 1993

/notable-people

space-y-4

font-semibold mb-2

noopener noreferrer

text-primary hover:underline

w-4 h-4

p-6