2.5. Age profile and gender

Bradford has a balanced gender ratio, with 50.5% female and 49.5% male residents and is among the youngest metropolitan districts in the UK, with a median age of 36.7.

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Age profile and gender

In terms of gender, Bradford has a relatively balanced population, with 50.5% of the population identifying as female and 49.5% identifying as male.

Bradford is one of the youngest metropolitan districts in the UK. The median average age in Bradford in 2021 was 36.7, with over 18s representing 78.7% of the population. The figure below shows the average age in each of Bradford’s wards.

Bradford’s population is changing. Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Bradford increased by two years, from 34 to 36 years of age. This area had the joint lowest average (median) age in Yorkshire and The Humber (alongside Kingston upon Hull and Leeds) and a lower average (median) age than England (40 years). The number of people aged 65 to 74 years rose by just over 11,000 (an increase of 1.7%) while the number of residents aged 4 years and under fell by around 5,100 (1.3% decrease).

Figure 3: Projected population of Bradford District to 2041

Recent analysis looking ahead to 2041 projects significant growth in Bradford's population and a slight shift in age profile with an ageing older population and slight reduction in younger people.

Source: Office for National Statistics.

Figure 4: Bradford's predicted age profile 2023–2043

The chart below shows the predicted change in age groups in five year increments up to 2043.

Source: Based on ONS prediction data.

Next: Skills, education and employment

Bradford Data Review » The people of Bradford

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2.1. Diversity

Bradford is a highly diverse district, reflecting the unique ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds of its residents.

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2.2. Ethnicity

The district also has a high percentage of Asian/Asian British, with 26.8% of the population identifying as such.

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2.3. Religion

In Bradford, Christians form the largest religious group at 33.4%, followed closely by Muslims at 30.5%. Additionally, 28.2% identify as having no religion.

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2.4. Disability

Overall, 19.0% of Bradford residents identify as disabled. This is slightly higher than Yorkshire and The Humber at 18.9% and 17.7% in England.

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2.6. Skills, education and employment

This section provides data on skill levels and educational outcomes in Bradford. This draws on data from the 2021 Census, and other sources highlighted, such as comparators with Yorkshire and The Humber.

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2.7. Health

This section provides an overview of health data, addressing issues such as life expectancy, health outcomes, illness and wellbeing.

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2.8. Socio-economic deprivation

This section provides an overview of socio-economic data in Bradford, addressing issues such as poverty, unemployment and deprivation. Data in this section comes from the 2021 Census.

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2.9. Gaps in the data

Although extensive research exists on the demographics and diversity of Bradford district, there are notable data gaps crucial for arts organizations.

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2.10. Opportunities

The district arts organisations can harness data to tackle entrenched issues, leveraging Bradford’s diversity and deprivation for impactful social change.