Census shows changing face of Solihull

OLDER, more ethnically diverse, less religious and 0.2 per cent are Jedi Knights – this is Solihull according to the 2011 census.

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Results released today show the changing face of the borough compared to the last census in 2001.

They show a population of 206,674 compared to 199,517 before.

People are living longer, 9.3 per cent were over 75 compared to 7.7 per cent before.

Marriages have risen from 45.3 per cent to 51.6 per cent while single people have fallen from 40.9 per cent to 30.1 per cent.

Yet the divorce rate has risen from 5.6 per cent to 8 per cent.

More people under 65 are living alone, up from 12.1 per cent to 15.3 per cent though families with dependent children rose from 17.3 per cent to 20.7 per cent.

The results also show a more ethnically diverse borough.

The proportion of White British people fell from 91.3 per cent to 85.8 per cent while British Pakistanis rise from 0.5 per cent to 1.7 per cent.

British Indians went from 1.8 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

Those who classed themselves Christian fell from 78.2 per cent to 65.6 per cent while those who put no religion rose significantly from 12 per cent to 21.4 per cent.

There were 22 Druids, 115 Pagans and 412 “Jedi Knights”, by far the largest “other” religion.

People put the term – from the Star Wars Science Fiction films – in 2001 and is widely seen as a prank or protest against the inclusion of religion on the census.

Solihull also retains its white collar reputation – 45 per cent worked in senior management or the professions.

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