Census 2021
Information gathered through the Census 2021 is extremely helpful when designing and delivering public services; it enables us to ask key questions about why certain groups are not accessing services and what we can do to address this. This can help us to remove barriers and plan the development of future service delivery that can be focused on meeting real need. The Census
2021 notably took place against a background of unparalleled change and uncertainty due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Information deduced from this Census will therefore be reviewed in conjunction with ongoing local intelligence and engagement. Overall trends were as follows:
- Our population is increasing: The population of Coventry has increased by 8.9%, from around 317,000 in 2011 to around 345,300 in 2021. Since the last census in 2011 the overall population in Coventry has increased by a greater percentage than the overall population of both the West Midlands (up by 6.2%) and England (up by 6.6%).
- Our population is aging: The median age in Coventry is 35 years of age (an increase of one year). The number of people aged between 50-64 has increased by around 8,800 (18.2% increase since 2011 Census).
- Our ethnic diversity is increasing: Census data confirmed Coventry’s status as one of the most diverse cities in the UK with 65.5% of people identifying their ethnic group as ‘White’ (compared with 73.8% in 2011), 18.5% identified their ethnic group within ‘Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh’ category (an increase of 2.2%) and 8.9% identified within the ‘Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean; around one-third (30%) of the population are from minority ethnic groups compared to 20% for England as a whole. This trend is expected to increase with 48.7% of Coventry school children from an ethnic background other than White British.
- Our religious affiliations are changing: 31.6% of people reported themselves as having ‘No religion’. Trend data suggests an increase in individuals reporting as Muslim (11% of the population) and a decrease in people identifying as Christian (46.8%).
- Our employment is steady: 51% of people said they were employed in 2021 (similar to the 2011 level of 50.9%) with just over 1 in 30 (3.4%) people stating they were unemployed (4.9% in 2011). The percentage of retired Coventry residents has decreased from 19.1% in 2011 to 17.3% in 2021.
- Our population of individuals identifying as having a disability is decreasing: In 2021, 8.4% of residents identified as being disabled and limited a lot. This figure decreased from 10.5% in 2011; 1 in 10 people were identified as being disabled and limited a little compared to 10.7% in 2011. Overall, the proportion of Coventry residents who were not disabled increased from 78.8% to 81.6%.Census information is a key baseline in informing our JSNA and Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). Prior to the commencement of any commissioning activity or development of any strategy or plans, an EIA is complete to identify preventative action required to address health, digital and social inequalities in our work.
Census information is a key baseline in informing our JSNA and Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). Prior to the commencement of any commissioning activity or development of any strategy or plans, an EIA is complete to identify preventative action required to address health, digital and social inequalities in our work.
What this tells us: Currently uptake of Coventry City Council adult social care services from ethnically diverse groups is disproportionate to our demographics as reported in Census 2021, although we note an overrepresentation of people using a direct payment from diverse ethnic backgrounds. We are addressing this through a number of means including engaging with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board, development of a more diverse market, and stronger ties to a range of faith and community groups across the city including through the Member-led Multi-Faith Forum. We will continue to ensure through our commissioning activity we are making active steps to reduce these disparities and work towards equity in service delivery proportionate to our city’s demographics.