Sikhism in the United Kingdom
British Sikhs number over 520,000 people and account for 0.85% of the British population (excluding Scotland) as of 2021, forming the United Kingdom's fourth-largest religious group. According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, British Sikhs (excluding Scottish Sikhs) numbered 524,529, with 520,092 in England, 4,048 in Wales, and 389 in Northern Ireland.[1][2][3] The largest Sikh populations in the United Kingdom are in the West Midlands and Greater London.
Total population | |
---|---|
524,529 0.85% of the total population (2021, excluding Scotland) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
West Midlands | 172,398 (2.90%) |
London | 144,543 (1.64%) |
South East | 74,348 (0.80%) |
East Midlands | 53,950 (1.11%) |
East | 24,284 (0.38%) |
Religions | |
Sikhism | |
Languages | |
British English • Punjabi Hindi • Urdu |
History
Sikhs and Britain have a long and storied history. Decades before the last Sikh King, Duleep Singh, stepped onto British soil in the middle of the 19th century, there had been Anglo-Sikh contact as far back as the 1800s in the Punjab with his father Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Since then, even though this relationship has changed in nature many times, both communities have left a strong permanent influence on each other. For instance, in such varied parts of British society as food, language, political systems, soldiering and of course cricket, the British-Sikh relationship has given rise to many new facets of modern British and Indian society.[16]
The first permanent Sikh in Britain was Maharaja Duleep Singh (1838-1893), the last Sikh Emperor of the Imperial Sukerchakia Dynasty, from 1844 to 1849. He arrived in England in the year 1854, having been exiled from his kingdom by the East India Company. His mother, Empress Jind Kaur (1817-1863), arrived in 1860 at Kensington in Victorian London and settled permanently, after being at war with Britain for an extended period of time until the fall of the Sikh Dynasty in 1849. She was given permission by Parliament to settle on English soil.
The First Sikh Settlers started migrating from the Punjab in 1911, when the first Sikh Gurdwara was opened in London. During the start of the First and Second World Wars respectively, there was already an established Sikh presence in many parts of England. Britain's first south Asian immigrants after the war were Pakistani Muslims and Punjabi Sikhs from the Jullundur Doab. They tended to settle in midland towns such as Birmingham and Leeds, as well as in the London borough of Southall.
In 2019, Seema Malhotra MP set up the first debate in Parliament to discuss the positive contribution of the Sikh community over the last 70 years.[17]
Despite the existence of advocacy organisations like the British Sikh Report, there is very little systematic research on British Sikhs. The only major academic work that is comprehensive, systematic and a through history of the community is by Gurharpal Singh and Darshan S. Tatla, Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community (Zed, 2006). This work needs updating in light of the impending Census 2021 to reflect changes in the community's profile.
Demography
Politics
Incumbent Sikh Lords include four Conservatives (Baron Rana of Malone in Antrim,[18][19] Baroness Verma of Leicester, Baron Suri of Ealing, and Baron Ranger of Mayfair), one crossbencher (Baron Singh of Wimbledon) and one Labour member (Baron Sahota of Telford). Both incumbent Sikh MPs are from the Labour party (Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi of Slough and Preet Gill of Birmingham Edgbaston). The first Sikh MP was Piara Singh Khabra of Ealing Southall and the first Sikh Lord was Baron King of West Bromwich.
Education
65% percent of British Sikhs have a graduate level qualification or above. Sikhs in the 20 - 34 age group have the highest level of graduates (55%) within the Sikh community. The highest level of postgraduate qualifications of Master's degrees (22%) is in the 35 - 49 age group. Eight percent of Sikhs aged 65 and over have a PhD. The split of formal education between women and men is roughly equal, with slightly more women holding a university degree or equivalent (48% of women, 42% of men).[20]
Employment
The most popular employment sectors for British Sikhs include: Healthcare (10%), IT and Technology (8%), Teaching and Education (9%), Accountancy and Financial Management (7%), indicating that Sikhs tend to favour professional and technical employment sectors over others. Healthcare is a popular sector for all age groups. Teaching and Education is more common in the 35 - 49 and the 50 - 64 age groups than others, whereas accountancy and financial management is more popular with the 20 - 34 age group (9%) compared with 6% respectively for both the 35 - 49 and the 50 - 64 age groups. The top career choices for Sikh women are Healthcare (14%) and Teaching and Education (15%). Healthcare is also a joint second most popular choice for Sikh men along with Accountancy and Financial Management, the most popular sector being IT and Technology (13%).[21]
Wealth
Home ownership
Home ownership is very high amongst British Sikhs with 87% of households owning at least a portion of their home. Thirty percent of British Sikh households own their homes outright and only 9% rent their properties. Only 1% of British Sikhs claim Housing Benefit. This represents the highest level of private home ownership rate over any other community in the UK. In addition, half of all British Sikh families (49%) own more than one property in the UK, with a similar number (50%) owning at least one property in India, apparently indicating that property ownership is used as a top means of building assets for the future. 6% of British Sikhs own property elsewhere in Europe.[22]
Income
Relative to the national average income at approximately £40,000 before tax (according to the British Sikh Report), it found that Sikh households tend to be affluent. Two in every three British Sikh households (66%) have pre-tax incomes in excess of £40,000, and over a third (34%) have an income in excess of £80,000, giving a value for the Sikh Pound of 7.63 billion.[23]
However this data appears to be contradicted by research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which actually states Sikhs have the second highest poverty rate in the UK, with 27% of British Sikhs living below the poverty line; this is in comparison to 18% of the population as a whole.[24]
About one in three British Sikh families (34%) own a business in the UK.[25]
Charitable giving and volunteering
Performing Seva (selfless service) is a basic tenet of Sikhism, and Sikhs are also expected to share at least 10 per cent of their earnings with those less fortunate and for good causes (Dasvandh).
Sixty-four percent of British Sikhs engage in some volunteering work, and 40% give between one and five hours per week on voluntary activities, including Seva at their Gurdwara, whilst more than 2% spend over 25 hours on such activities, spending about on average 200 hours per year on voluntary activities. Ninety-three percent claim to donate some money to charity every month, with 50% donating between £1 and £20 every month, and 7% donating more than £100 per month. It is estimated that Sikhs in Britain donate around £380 per year to charity on average. Taken as a whole, Sikhs in the UK are estimated to donate about £125 million to charity per annum and spend over 65 million hours each year on voluntary activities.[26]
Care of the elderly
Sikhs prefer to live in extended family households as they grow older - 61% of males and 52% of females. The second highest preference is in their own home (44% males and 41% females) and the third preference is in a retirement village (31% females and 24% males).[27]
Geographical distribution
Local authority | Population |
---|---|
Sandwell | 39,252 |
Birmingham | 33,126 |
Wolverhampton | 31,769 |
Ealing | 28,491 |
Hillingdon | 26,339 |
Hounslow | 24,677 |
Slough | 17,985 |
Redbridge | 17,622 |
Coventry | 17,297 |
Walsall | 17,148 |
Local authority | Percentage |
---|---|
Wolverhampton | 12.0% |
Sandwell | 11.5% |
Slough | 11.3% |
Hillingdon | 8.6% |
Hounslow | 8.6% |
Gravesham | 8.0% |
Ealing | 7.8% |
Oadby and Wigston | 7.5% |
Walsall | 6.0% |
Redbridge | 5.7% |
Region | 2021[30] | 2011[31] | 2001[32] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
West Midlands | 172,398 | 2.9% | 133,681 | 2.39% | 103,870 | 1.97% |
London | 144,543 | 1.64% | 126,134 | 1.54% | 104,230 | 1.45% |
South East | 74,348 | 0.8% | 54,941 | 0.64% | 37,735 | 0.47% |
East Midlands | 53,950 | 1.11% | 44,335 | 0.98% | 33,551 | 0.8% |
East | 24,284 | 0.38% | 18,213 | 0.31% | 13,365 | 0.25% |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 24,034 | 0.44% | 22,179 | 0.42% | 18,711 | 0.38% |
North West | 11,862 | 0.16% | 8,857 | 0.13% | 6,487 | 0.1% |
South West | 7,465 | 0.13% | 5,892 | 0.11% | 4,614 | 0.09% |
North East | 7,206 | 0.27% | 5,964 | 0.23% | 4,780 | 0.19% |
England | 520,092 | 0.92% | 420,196 | 0.79% | 327,343 | 0.63% |
Country | 2021[33][34][35] | 2011[36][37][38][11] | 2001[39][40][41][42] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
England | 520,092 | 0.92% | 420,196 | 0.79% | 327,343 | 0.63% |
Wales | 4,048 | 0.13% | 2,962 | 0.1% | 2,015 | 0.07% |
Scotland | 9,055 | 0.17% | 6,572 | 0.13% | ||
Northern Ireland | 389 | 0.02% | 216 | 0.01% | 219 | 0.01% |
United Kingdom | 432,429 | 0.68% | 336,149 | 0.57% |
British Sikhs have been praised as an example of positive cultural integration in the United Kingdom, many having achieved success due to a strong cultural work ethic combined with an emphasis on the importance of the family.[43]
According to the 2017 British Sikh Report which surveys the community in the UK, 71% were born in England, followed by 15% in India, 8% in East Africa, 2% in Scotland, and 1% in Afghanistan.[44]
According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, Sikhs in England & Wales enumerated 524,140, or 0.9% of the population[45]
West Midlands
West Midlands has the highest Sikh population and Sikh proportion of any English region, with 172,398 Sikhs making up 2.9% of the region's population at the 2021 census. The five West Midlands local authorities with the highest Sikh population are Sandwell (39,252), Birmingham (33,126), Wolverhampton (31,769), Coventry (17,297), and Walsall (17,148). The five West Midlands local authorities with the highest Sikh proportion are Wolverhampton (12.0%), Sandwell (11.5%), Walsall (6.0%), Coventry (5.0%), and Warwick (4.2%). The Black Country is home to 93,485 Sikhs and is 7.7% Sikh.[46]
Sandwell
Sandwell has a large Sikh community numbering 39,252 at the 2021 census (the largest of any local authority in England) and making up 11.5% of the area's population (the second-largest proportion of any local authority in England).[47] The majority live in West Bromwich and Smethwick. Sandwell's first gurdwara was built in Smethwick, and is the largest outside of London.
Birmingham
Birmingham has a large Sikh community numbering 33,126 at the 2021 census (the second-largest of any local authority in England) and making up 2.9% of the city's population.[48] In 2021, Sikhs were the second-largest religious group in Handsworth, where they numbered 5,064 and made up 24.8% of the population.[49]
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton has a large Sikh community numbering 31,769 at the 2021 census (the third-largest of any local authority in England) and making up 12.0% of the city's population (the largest proportion of any local authority in England).[50] Blakenhall, in Wolverhampton, was home to 5,131 Sikhs in 2021 and had a 40.7% Sikh plurality.[51]
London
With 144,543 Sikhs living in London at the 2021 census (1.6% of London's population), the area is home to the second-largest Sikh community in the UK. The five London boroughs with the highest Sikh population are Ealing (28,491), Hillingdon (26,339), Hounslow (24,677), Redbridge (17,622), and Newham (5,638). The five London boroughs with the highest Sikh proportion are Hillingdon (8.6%), Hounslow (8.6%), Ealing (7.8%), Redbridge (5.7%), and Bexley (2.1%).[52]
Ealing
The area of Southall in Ealing, also known as "Little Punjab", was home to 20,843 Sikhs at the 2021 census and had a 28.2% Sikh plurality.[53][54]
Hounslow
Heston, in Hounslow, was home to 10,692 Sikhs in 2021 and had a 25.8% Sikh plurality.[55][56][57]
South East
With 74,348 Sikhs living in the South East at the 2021 census (0.8% of the region's population), the area is home to the third-largest Sikh community in the UK. The five South East local authorities with the highest Sikh population are Slough (17,985), Gravesham (8,560), Medway (4,363), Southampton (4,192), and Wokingham (2,992). The five South East local authorities with the highest Sikh proportion are Slough (11.3%), Gravesham (8.0%), Windsor and Maidenhead (2.9%), Spelthorne (2.5%), and Southampton (1.7%).[58]
East Midlands
With 53,950 Sikhs living in the East Midlands at the 2021 census (1.1% of the region's population), the area is home to the fourth-largest Sikh community in the UK. The five East Midlands local authorities with the highest Sikh population are Leicester (16,451), Derby (9,762), Oadby and Wigston (4,342), Nottingham (4,110), and Blaby (2,927). The five East Midlands local authorities with the highest Sikh proportion are Oadby and Wigston (7.5%), Leicester (4.5%), Derby (3.7%), Blaby (2.8%), and South Derbyshire (2.1%).[59]
Festivals and community events
Some of the bigger festival celebrations within the British Sikh community include Vaisakhi which usually involves colourful street processions throughout the country and Diwali. Southall hosts one of the largest Vaisakhi street processions in Europe.[60] Since 2009, both Vaisakhi and Diwali have been celebrated every year at 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister.[61][62]
Exemptions in British law for Sikhs
Sikhs are exempt from a few British laws on account of religious reasons. For example, men wearing a Dastar (turban) may ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and are permitted to wear their Kirpan as religious dress rather than offensive weapon in certain situations. In February 2010, Sir Mota Singh, Britain's first Asian judge, criticised the banning of the Kirpan in public places such as schools.[63] The tenth and final guru, Guru Gobind Singh formally included the Kirpan as a mandatory article of faith for all baptised Sikhs,[64] making it a duty for Sikhs to be able to defend the needy, suppressed ones, to defend righteousness and the freedom of expression.
British converts to Sikhism
- Alexandra Aitken - actress and daughter of former British cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken
- Vic Briggs - former blues musician, now Vikram Singh Khalsa; became the first non-subcontinental to perform kirtan at Harimandir Sahib
- Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841–1913) - senior administrator of the British Raj who was posted in the Punjab; prolific scholar and author; converted to Sikhism in the 1860s
Discrimination
In an online survey of 650 Sikhs in the UK, three-quarters of them said they had experienced racism. In spite of this, 95% said they are proud of being born or living in Britain. 43% of the women surveyed said they had experienced discrimination on the basis of gender, and 71% of those had also experienced it within their extended family.[65]
Influential British Sikh organisations
The Gurdwara remains the focal point of the Sikh community. There are also now a variety of notable organisations which have been setup by Sikhs to support the community:
- Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha) London
- British Sikh Report
- Basics of Sikhi
- Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick
- Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha
- Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall
- Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick
- Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara
- Nishkam SWAT
- Sangat TV
- Sikh Pioneers & Sikh Light Infantry Association UK
- Sikh Channel
- Sikh Federation (UK)
- The Sikh Awards
See also
References
- ^ "Religion, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Census 2021 main statistics religion tables". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "MS-B21: Religion - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
requires|archive-url=
(help) - ^ Field, Clive (26 November 2022). Counting Religion in Britain, 1970-2020: Secularization in Statistical Context. ISBN 9780192849328.
- ^ Gale, Richard; Peach, Ceri (26 November 2022). "Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs in the New Religious Landscape of England". Geographical Review. 93 (4): 469–490. JSTOR 30033938.
- ^ Singh, Gurharpal; Tatla, Darshan (26 November 2022). Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community. ISBN 9781842777176.
- ^ Religious affiliation was not collected in the British census until 2001. Figures for 1947, 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, and 1991 are estimates.[4][5][6]
- ^ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Scotland's Census 2011: Table KS209SCa" (PDF). scotlandcensus.gov.uk. (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "Census 2011: Religion: KS211NI (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Census 2011: Religion - Full Detail: QS218NI - Northern Ireland". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Summary: Religious Group Demographics". scotland.gov.uk. from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Census 2001: Religion (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Table KS07c: Religion (full list with 10 or more persons)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "British Sikh Report 2016 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "Sikhs: Contribution to the UK — [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair]: 30 Apr 2019: Westminster Hall debates". TheyWorkForYou. from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ "No. 57334". The London Gazette. 22 June 2004. p. 7753.
- ^ . www.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ "British Sikh Report 2018 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "British Sikh Report 2018 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "BSR 2014 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "BSR 2014 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "Review of the relationship between religion and poverty - an analysis for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
- ^ "BSR 2014 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "British Sikh Report 2016 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "British Sikh Report 2018 | British Sikh Report". www.britishsikhreport.org. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "TS030 - Religion Edit query". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "TS030 - Religion Edit query". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Census 2021 main statistics religion tables". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "MS-B21: Religion - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
requires|archive-url=
(help) - ^ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Scotland's Census 2011: Table KS209SCa" (PDF). scotlandcensus.gov.uk. (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "Census 2011: Religion: KS211NI (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Summary: Religious Group Demographics". scotland.gov.uk. from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Census 2001: Religion (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Table KS07c: Religion (full list with 10 or more persons)". nisra.gov.uk. from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Comment: British Sikhs are the best example of cultural integration". politics.co.uk. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ BRITISH SIKH REPORT 2017 (PDF)
- ^ "Religion, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ The Black Country includes Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, and has a population of 1,213,176. "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Handsworth Wood: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Blakenhall: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ Southall is made up of 5 wards in the London Borough of Ealing: Dormers Wells, Lady Margaret, Southall Green, Southall Broadway, and Norwood Green. "Norwood Green: Religion". UK Census Data."Lady Margaret: Religion". UK Census Data."Dormers Wells: Religion". UK Census Data."Southall Broadway: Religion". UK Census Data."Southall Green: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ Chaudhary, Vivek (4 April 2018). "How London's Southall became 'Little Punjab'". The Guardian.
- ^ "Heston Central: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Heston East: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Heston West: Religion". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Figure 2: Religion, 2021, local authorities in England and Wales". Office of National Statistics. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ Clifton, Katy (2018-04-09). "Thousands brave rain for Vaisakhi celebration in Southall". getwestlondon. from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ^ PTI (17 October 2009). . The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ Roy, Amit (25 October 2011). "Dazzle at downing, colour at commons". Mumbai Miday. from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ Taneja, Poonam (8 February 2010). "Sikh judge Sir Mota Singh criticises banning of Kirpan". Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "The 5 K's". Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- ^ Talwar, Divya (2013-06-06). "British Sikh Report finds majority 'proud of Britain'". BBC News. from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
Further reading
- Sikhs in Britain: the making of a community (Zed, 2006) by Prof. Gurharpal Singh and Dr. Darshan Singh Tatla.
External links
- Reassessing what we collect website – Sikh London History of Sikh London with objects and images