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Profile of the population
Bedfordshire has a total population of 590,700. 86.3% of the population are White, 8.3% are Asian and 2.9% are Black, with 2.5% of other ethnic origin.
Bedford is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in the UK. According to a 2001 census, 2 in 7 of residents are of at least partial Italian descent.
In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also seen significant immigration from South Asia, Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, the Middle East and Africa, making it one of the most diverse towns in Britain. Over 100 languages are spoken in Bedford including Italian, Punjabi, Turkish, Polish, Portuguese and both Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
Specifically in Luton, 68% of the inhabitants are White, 19.3% are of South Asian descent, 7.9% are Black (of which 4.2% are Black Caribbean, 3.3% Black African and 0.5% Other Black). 2.8% of Luton's population are of two or more races, 1.4% of people are of Chinese descent, and around 0.6% belong to another ethnic group.
Anticipated minority ethnic growth rates
It is anticipated that there will be a growth in the population of about 6% over the next decade as planned increases in housing development across the county take place.
Over recent years there has been a significant increase in numbers of eastern Europeans moving into the county, and this is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
