Impacts of migration in Manchester

• There are more than 200 languages spoken in Manchester, and although there has been a range of impacts on the city, it is almost hard to not see the growth as positive.
• Manchester has been attracting people to the city from abroad and within the UK since the Industrial Revolution


  Historically
• Migrants who came to Manchester

  • Irish
  • Jewish migrants fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe
  • Migrants from Ireland, the Caribbean, India, Pakistan and South Africa
  • Migrants from Bulgaria, Romania and Poland
• By 2004, migration from Eastern Europe massively increased, and Manchester saw large numbers of migrants from Bulgaria, Romania and Poland.
• Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Manchester increased by 9.7%, from just over 503,100 in 2011 to around 551,900 in 2021.
• Population growth was higher in Manchester than across the North West between 2011 and 2021.
• National Migration

  Migration into the city has predominantly been for the wide range of education opportunities in the city, the universities attract over 100,000 students every year, and over 50% of them stay and work in the city.
• Migration into the city for education opportunities

  Led to the growth of high-tech industries within the city predominantly focused on scientific and medical research
• Migration into the city for education opportunities

  Raised the median age in Manchester from 29 in the 2011 census to 31 in the 2021 census
• Migration into the city for education opportunities


  Led to a huge range of services and housing being built for the younger population moving in
• Migration into the city for education opportunities

  Grew the music and culture opportunities in the city every single year, generating huge amounts of money for the city
• Migration of people over 50


  Apparently due to the close proximity of green space while still being able to access the city
• Development of the Metrolink in 2019/2020

  Increased migration and led to more houses being built along the rural-urban fringe
• Today, Manchester has a multi-ethnic population, a quarter of which is from non-white minority backgrounds.
• Ethnic communities settled in Manchester since the 1950s

  • Pakistani
  • Indian
  • Chinese
  • African
  • African Caribbean
• Chinatown

  Originated in the early 1900s, but didn't expand until after World War II when following the war and huge labour shortages, the British government made migration easier, encouraging huge numbers of Chinese migrants
• Manchester's Chinatown is one of the largest in Europe, and there are events that run across the whole city at certain times of the year, for example, in February for Chinese New Year.
• Every year there is a Caribbean Carnival of Manchester, in 2011, there was a focus on 'Project 81', which looked at the impacts of the 1981 Manchester Riots on the Caribbean Community.
• The increase in migration since the early 1990s has predominantly led to huge numbers of skilled workers arriving in the city, over 65% of whom work within the NHS.
• Increase in migration

  Changed the way people live in the city, with recent research by Manchester University showing that the music and culture are changing across the city to accommodate changing musical tastes, and the change in food tastes has led to many different types of restaurants available in the city, with people of all nationalities eating there.
• Increase in migration

  Reduced the availability of affordable housing, with housing within the city quadrupling in price over the past 25 years, and lots of people earning low incomes struggling to stay in the area, leading to urban sprawl and huge housing estates being built on the rural-urban fringe.
• The impact of migration on Manchester is complex and multifaceted. It significantly impacts the city's economy, society, environment, and politics. On the one hand, it has boosted economic growth, diversified the culture, and brought innovation. On the other hand, it has put pressure on public services, contributed to environmental issues, and posed challenges to social cohesion and integration.