According to data released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), nearly 97,910 people in England chose 'Sikh' as their ethnic identity in the 2021 census. The figures revealed that 18.6% identified as 'Sikh' through both ethnic and religious questions, 0.3% exclusively through the ethnic question, and 81.1% through the voluntary religion question.
Combining these, the ONS estimated a total of 525,865 Sikhs in England and Wales, indicating a 22% increase from the 2011 census. The majority identified as Sikh through the religion question (99.7%), with 56.5% being born in England, 34.1% in India, and smaller percentages in Kenya and Afghanistan. In terms of national identity, 75% of Sikhs identified as "British only," and 13% as "Indian."
The census also highlighted higher rates of home ownership and marriage among Sikhs compared to the general population, with 77.7% reporting home ownership. Additionally, 61% of Sikhs were married, a higher percentage than the overall population, and they were more likely to have married at a younger age. Sikhs constituted the majority of Panjabi speakers in England and Wales, with 63.9% of Panjabi speakers identifying as Sikh. Despite the options of "Indian" and "Pakistani," around 100,000 Sikhs chose to write in 'Sikh,' following a suggestion by Dabinderjit Singh of the Sikh Federation (UK)
New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) challenges the Sikh Federation UK's (SFUK) assertion that UK Sikhs constitute a distinct ethnic group rather than followers of an inclusive world religion. According to the 2021 Census, only 0.3% of Britain's 525,865 Sikhs identified themselves solely through the ethnic group question, a significant drop from the 2011 Census. According to the Network of Sikh Organisations UK, within this small segment, 55.4% did not report their religion, 13.6% identified as Muslim, 12.5% reported no religion, and 8.7% identified as Christian. This underscores the SFUK's campaign's absurdity, resulting in 'ethnic' Sikhs practising various faiths or none.
The question arises: was Guru Nanak the founder of a global world religion? Furthermore, the Sikh community deserves transparency on the amount spent on legal fees to challenge the ONS. On a positive note, Census data reveals that Sikhs show higher educational attainment, home ownership, and marriage rates compared to the broader England and Wales population.
