London

==Demography==
{{main|Demographics of London}}
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:right;" 
|+2021 census - population of London by country of birth<ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2021 Bulk Data Download - TS012 Country of birth (detailed) |publisher=Durham University |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2021/bulk}}</ref>
|-
!colspan=2|Country of birth !!  Population  !! Percent
|-
!tyle=text-align:left; colspan=2|{{flag|United Kingdom}} || 5,223,986 || 59.4
|-
!style=text-align:left; colspan=2|Non-United Kingdom || 3,575,739 || 40.6
|-
| rowspan=11 | ||style=text-align:left;|{{flag|India}} || 322,644 || 3.7
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Romania}} || 175,991 || 2.0
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Poland}} || 149,397 || 1.7
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Bangladesh}} || 138,895 || 1.6
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Pakistan}} || 129,774 || 1.5
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Italy}} || 126,059 || 1.4
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Nigeria}} || 117,145 || 1.3
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Ireland}} || 96,566 || 1.1
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Sri Lanka}} || 80,379 || 0.9
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|France}} || 77,715 || 0.9
|-
| style=text-align:left;|Others || 2,161,174 || 24.6
|-
!colspan=2|Total || 8,799,725 || 100.0
|}

[[File:Greater London population density map, 2011 census.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Population density map]]

London's continuous urban area extends beyond Greater London and numbered 9,787,426 people in 2011,<ref name="urbanpopulation"/> while its wider [[London metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] had a population of 12–14&nbsp;million, depending on the definition used.<ref name=metro_area_1>{{Cite web |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/world/Agglomerations.html |title=The Principal Agglomerations of the World |website=City Population |access-date=3 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704112702/http://www.citypopulation.de/world/Agglomerations.html |archive-date=4 July 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[Eurostat]], London is the second [[List of metropolitan areas in Europe|most populous]] metropolitan area in Europe. A net 726,000&nbsp;immigrants arrived there in the period 1991–2001.<ref name="Immigration">{{Cite web |last=Leppard |first=David |date=10 April 2005 |title=Immigration Rise Increases Segregation in British Cities |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article379434.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211185641/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article379434.ece |archive-date=11 February 2008 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

The region covers {{convert|1579|km2|sqmi|order=flip}}, giving a population density of {{convert|5177|PD/km2|PD/sqmi|order=flip}}<ref name=Metrop/> more than ten times that of any other [[ITL (UK)|British region]].<ref name=london_087>{{Cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/regional_snapshot/RS_Lon.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624195152/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/regional_snapshot/RS_Lon.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2008 |title=Population density of London: by London borough, 2006 |publisher=UK Statistics Authority |url-status=live}}</ref> In population terms, London is the 19th [[World's largest cities|largest city]] and the 18th [[List of metropolitan areas by population|largest metropolitan region]].<ref name=Billionaires>{{Cite news |title='Rich List' counts more than 100 UK billionaires |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27360032 |access-date=11 May 2014 |work=BBC News |date=11 May 2014}}</ref>

In tenure, 23.1% socially rent within London, 46.8% either own their house outright or with a mortgage or loan and 30% privately rent at the 2021 census.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS054 - Tenure - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts054 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> Many Londoner's work from home, 42.9% did so at the 2021 census while 20.6% drive a car to work. The biggest decrease in method of transportation was seen within those who take the train and underground, declining from 22.6% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS061 - Method used to travel to work - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts061 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> In qualifications, 46.7% of London had census classified Level 4 qualifications or higher, which is predominately university degrees. 16.2% had no qualifications at all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS067 - Highest level of qualification - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts067 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>

===Age structure and median age===
London's median age is one of the youngest regions in the UK. It was recorded in 2018 that London's residents were 36.5 years old, which was younger than the UK median of 40.3.<ref name=":1" />

Children younger than 14 constituted 20.6% of the population in Outer London in 2018, and 18% in Inner London. The 15–24 age group was 11.1% in Outer and 10.2% in Inner London, those aged 25–44 years 30.6% in Outer London and 39.7% in Inner London, those aged 45–64 years 24% and 20.7% in Outer and Inner London respectively. Those aged 65 and over are 13.6% in Outer London, but only 9.3% in Inner London.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=20 April 2020 |title=The Age Distribution of the Population |url=https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/londons-population-age/ |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702033916/https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/population-age-groups/ |archive-date=2 July 2020 |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[Trust for London]]}}</ref>

=== Country of birth ===
The 2021 census recorded that 3,575,739 people or 40.6% of London's population were [[Foreign-born population of the United Kingdom|foreign-born]],<ref name="Census2021">{{cite news |title=International migration, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/internationalmigrationenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=London%20has%20remained%20the%20region,had%20a%20non%2DUK%20passport |access-date=3 December 2022 |publisher=ONS}}</ref> making it among the cities with the [[foreign born#Cities with largest foreign born populations|largest immigrant population]] in terms of absolute numbers and a growth of roughly 3 million since 1971 when the foreign born population was 668,373.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Data Service |first=Jisc |date=21 March 2013 |title=Casweb |url=https://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk//index.htm |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk |language=English}}</ref> 13% of the total population were Asian born (32.1% of the total foreign born population), 7.1% are African born (17.5%), 15.5% are Other European born (38.2%) and 4.2% were born in the Americas and Caribbean (10.3%).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Countries of birth - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/2260f256-3757-4b75-835d-b904cb29a357 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> The 5 largest single countries of origin were respectively India, Romania, Poland, Bangladesh and Pakistan.<ref name=":3" />

About 56.8% of children born in London in 2021 were born to a mother who was born abroad.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Parents' country of birth - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/datasets/parentscountryofbirth |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> This trend has been increasing in the past two decades when foreign born mothers made up 43.3% of births in 2001 in London, becoming the majority in the middle of the 2000s by 2006 comprising 52.5%.<ref name=":4" />

A large degree of the foreign born population who were present at the 2021 census had arrived relatively recently. Of the total population, those that arrived between the years of 2011 and 2021 account for 16.6% of London.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Year of arrival in the uk - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/038e579d-69a5-4765-821f-864f6d4ea8a1 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Those who arrived between 2001 and 2010 are 10.4%, between 1991 and 2001, 5.7%, and prior to 1990, 7.3%.<ref name=":6" />

===Ethnic groups===
{{main|Ethnic groups in London}}
{{multiple image
| caption_align     = center
| header_align      = center
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 200
| header            = Maps of Greater London showing percentage distribution of selected ethnic groups according to the 2021 Census
| image1            = White London 2021.png
| alt1              = White
| caption1          = [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]] (53.8%)
| image2            = Asian London 2021.png
| alt2              = Asian
| caption2          = [[British Asian|Asian]] (20.8%)
| image3            = Black London 2021.png
| alt3              = Black
| caption3          = [[Black British people|Black]] (13.5%)
}}

According to the [[Office for National Statistics]], based on the 2021 census, 53.8 per cent of the 8,173,941 inhabitants of London were [[White people|White]], with 36.8% [[White British]], 1.8% [[Irish migration to Great Britain|White Irish]], 0.1% [[Gypsy (term)|Gypsy]]/[[Irish traveller|Irish Traveller]], 0.4 Roma and 14.7% classified as [[Other White]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |access-date=5 December 2022 |website=Ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Meanwhile, 22.2% of Londoners were of [[British Asian|Asian]] or mixed-Asian descent, with 20.8% being of full Asian descents and 1.4% being of mixed-Asian heritage. [[British Indian|Indians]] accounted for 7.5% of the population, followed by [[British Pakistanis|Pakistanis]] and [[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshis]] at 3.3% and 3.7% respectively. [[British Chinese|Chinese]] people accounted for 1.7%, and [[British Arabs|Arabs]] for 1.6%. A further 4.6% were classified as "Other Asian".<ref name=":5" /> 15.9% of London's population were of [[Black British|Black]] or mixed-Black descent. 13.5% were of full Black descent, with persons of mixed-Black heritage comprising 2.4%. [[Black British|Black Africans]] accounted for 7.9% of London's population; 3.9% identified as [[British African-Caribbean community|Black Caribbean]], and 1.7% as "Other Black". 5.7% were of [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|mixed race]].<ref name=":5" /> This ethnic structure has changed considerably since the 1960s. Estimates for 1961 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 179,109 comprising 2.3% of the population at the time,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=Trevor R. |date=1973 |title=Immigrants in London: Trends in distribution and concentration 1961–71 |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369183X.1973.9975191 |journal=Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=145–158 |doi=10.1080/1369183X.1973.9975191 |issn=1369-183X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Collins |first=Charles |date=1971 |title=Distribution of Commonwealth immigrants in Greater London |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43617773 |journal=Ekistics |volume=32 |issue=188 |pages=12–21 |jstor=43617773 |issn=0013-2942}}</ref> having risen since then to 1,346,119 and 20.2% in 1991<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 census - local base statistics - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/lbs91 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> and 4,068,553 and 46.2% in 2021.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Of those of a White British background, estimates for 1971 put the population at 6,500,000 and 87% of the total population,<ref>{{Citation |first1=David |last1=Goodhew |first2=Anthony-Paul |last2=Cooper |title=The Desecularisation of the City: London's Churches, 1980 to the Present |date=2018 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351167765-1/desecularisation-city-london-churches-1980-present-david-goodhew-anthony-paul-cooper |work=The Desecularisation of the City |pages=3–38 |access-date=14 January 2024 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781351167765-1 |isbn=978-1-351-16776-5|s2cid=240171114 }}</ref> of since fell to 3,239,281 and 36.8% in 2021.<ref name=":7" />

As of 2021, the majority of London's school pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds. 23.9% were White British, 14% Other White, 23.2% Asian, 17.9% Black, 11.3% Mixed, 6.3% Other and 2.3% unclassified.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2022/23 |url=https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> Altogether at the 2021 census, of London's 1,695,741 population aged 0 to 15, 42% were White in total, spliting it down into 30.9% who were White British, 0.5% Irish, 10.6% Other White, 23% Asian, 16.4% Black, 12% Mixed and 6.6% another ethnic group.<ref>{{Cite web |author=ONS |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/livelinks/12297.xlsx |title=LC2109EWls – Ethnic group by age |publisher=nomisweb.co.uk |access-date=26 March 2015}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that more than 300 languages were spoken in London and more than 50 non-indigenous communities had populations of more than 10,000.<ref name="london_090">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jan/21/britishidentity1 |title=Every race, colour, nation and religion on earth |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=6 May 2008 |first=Leo |last=Benedictus |date=21 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501134732/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jan/21/britishidentity1 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the 2021 census, 78.4% spoke English as their first language.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Main language - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/bd973425-a3bd-4610-92b4-e8d77e908654 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> The 5 biggest languages outside of English were Romanian, Spanish, Polish, Bengali and Portuguese.<ref name=":8" />

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in London}}
{{see also|List of churches in London}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in London (2021)<ref name=census2021>{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS030/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/8f748994-2bd6-407c-b7f8-7f9d7fafbe6f| title=Religion |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |access-date=16 December 2022}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Christianity]]
|value1 = 40.66
|color1 = DodgerBlue
|label2 = [[Irreligion|Not religious]]
|value2 = 27.05
|color2 = Honeydew
|label3 = [[Islam]]
|value3 = 14.99
|color3 = Green
|label4 = Undeclared
|value4 = 7.00
|color4 = Black
|label5 = [[Hinduism]]
|value5 = 5.15
|color5 = DarkOrange
|label6 = [[Judaism]]
|value6 = 1.65
|color6 = Blue
|label7 = [[Sikhism]]
|value7 = 1.64
|color7 = DarkKhaki
|label8 = [[Buddhism]]
|value8 = 0.99
|color8 = Yellow
|label9 = Other religion
|value9 = 0.88
|color9 = Chartreuse
}}

According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]], the largest religious groupings were [[British Christianity|Christians]] (40.66%), followed by those of no religion (20.7%), [[Islam in London|Muslims]] (15%), no response (8.5%), [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hindus]] (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), [[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikhs]] (1.64%), [[Buddhism in the United Kingdom|Buddhists]] (1.0%) and other (0.8%).<ref name=census2021/><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-286262 |title=2011 Census, Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales |publisher=Office for National Statistics |date=11 December 2012 |access-date=4 May 2013}}</ref>

London has traditionally been Christian, and has a [[List of churches in London|large number of churches]], particularly in the City of London. The well-known [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in the City and [[Southwark Cathedral]] south of the river are [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] administrative centres,<ref name="london_096">{{Cite web |date=7 April 2008 |title=About Saint Paul's |url= http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=97320F44yHMK9hndcXZBD5sVH4m52Yc0 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080407082352/http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=97320F44yHMK9hndcXZBD5sVH4m52Yc0 |archive-date=7 April 2008 |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Dean and Chapter St Paul's}}</ref> while the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], principal bishop of the [[Church of England]] and worldwide [[Anglican Communion]], has his main residence at [[Lambeth Palace]] in the [[London Borough of Lambeth]].<ref name="london_097">{{Cite web |title=Lambeth Palace Library |url=http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430174131/http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/ |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=27 April 2008 |website=[[Lambeth Palace Library]]}}</ref>

{{multiple image
 |direction = vertical
|image1 = St Paul's Cathedral from The south east.jpg|caption1=[[St Paul's Cathedral]], the seat of the [[Bishop of London]]
|image2 = London Temple.jpg|caption2=The [[BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London]] is the second-largest [[Hindu temple]] in England and Europe.
}}
Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between [[St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul's]] and [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name=london_098>{{Cite web |url= http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ |title=Westminster Abbey |publisher=Dean and Chapter of Westminster |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110505083817/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ |archive-date=5 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby [[Westminster Cathedral]], the largest [[Roman Catholic]] cathedral in [[England and Wales]].<ref name=london_099>{{Cite web |url= http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/home.html |title=Westminster Cathedral |publisher=Westminster Cathedral |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080327041736/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/home.html |archive-date=27 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is low within the denomination. Anglican Church attendance continues a long, steady decline, according to Church of England statistics.<ref name=london_100>{{Cite web |url= http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/2007provisionalattendance.pdf |title=Church of England Statistics |publisher=Church of England |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110516202652/http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/2007provisionalattendance.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2011 }}</ref>

Notable mosques include the [[East London Mosque]] in Tower Hamlets, which is allowed to give the Islamic call to prayer through loudspeakers, the [[London Central Mosque]] on the edge of [[Regent's Park]]<ref name=london_101>{{Cite web |url= http://www.iccuk.org/index.php?article=1&PHPSESSID=rbt2vceqs1bpn9567k0kiv9hu5 |title=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd |publisher=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd. & The Islamic Cultural Centre |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110426193641/http://www.iccuk.org/index.php?article=1&PHPSESSID=rbt2vceqs1bpn9567k0kiv9hu5 |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Baitul Futuh]] of the [[Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]]. After the oil boom, increasing numbers of wealthy [[Middle-East]]ern Arab Muslims based themselves around [[Mayfair]], Kensington and [[Knightsbridge]] in West London.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 January 2010 |title=Sikh-Britons Second Wealthiest: Government Report |url= http://www.sikhchic.com/history/sikhbritons_second_wealthiest_government_report |website=sikhchic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Gareth |date=14 March 2013 |title=Comment: British Sikhs Are the Best Example of Cultural Integration |url= http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2013/03/14/comment-british-sikhs-are-the-best-example-of-cultural-integ |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=politics.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="london_102">{{Cite web |author=Bill |first=Peter |date=30 May 2008 |title=The $300 Billion Arabs Are Coming |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/news/the-300-billion-arabs-are-coming-6890813.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430181240/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23488244-the-300-billion-arabs-are-coming.do |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Evening Standard |location= London}}</ref> There are large [[Bengali Muslim]] communities in the eastern boroughs of [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]] and [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2003 |title=Census 2001 Key Statistics, Local Authorities in England and Wales |publisher= Office for National Statistics |url= http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm:77-211026 |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150825013919/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm:77-211026 |archive-date=25 August 2015}}</ref>

Large Hindu communities are found in the north-western boroughs of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]], the latter hosting what was until 2006<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/5276644.stm |title=Opening for biggest Hindu temple |work=BBC News |date=23 August 2006 |access-date=28 August 2006}}</ref> Europe's largest [[Hindu temple]], [[Neasden Temple]].<ref name=london_103>{{Cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/19/hindu_london_feature.shtml |title=Hindu London |date=6 June 2005 |work=BBC London |access-date=3 June 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060218161357/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/19/hindu_london_feature.shtml |archive-date=18 February 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> London is home to 44 Hindu temples, including the [[BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London]]. There are Sikh communities in East and West London, particularly in Southall, home to one of the largest Sikh populations and the largest Sikh temple outside India.<ref name=london_104>{{Cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2898761.stm |title=£17&nbsp;m Sikh temple opens |date=30 March 2003 |work=BBC News |access-date=7 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071003094649/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2898761.stm |archive-date=3 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The majority of [[British Jews]] live in London, with notable Jewish communities in [[Stamford Hill]], [[Stanmore]], [[Golders Green]], [[Finchley]], [[Hampstead]], [[Hendon]] and [[Edgware]], all in [[North London]]. [[Bevis Marks Synagogue]] in the [[City of London]] is affiliated to London's historic [[Sephardic]] Jewish community. It is the only synagogue in Europe to have held regular services continually for over 300 years. [[Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue]] has the largest membership of any Orthodox synagogue in Europe.<ref name=london_106>{{Cite web |url= http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Kavimut/Britain+Communities/Stanmore+11.htm |publisher=The Jewish Agency for Israel |title=Stanmore |access-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110426075317/http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Kavimut/Britain+Communities/Stanmore+11.htm |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[London Jewish Forum]] was set up in 2006 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.<ref name=london_107>{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Jonny |date=10 December 2006 |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/1178443551.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+10%2C+2006&author=JONNY+PAUL%2C+Jerusalem+Post+correspondent&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=05&desc=Livingstone+apologizes+to+UK+Jews |title=Livingstone apologizes to UK's Jews |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=5 February 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110427064159/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881856232&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Accents===
[[File:St Mary-le-Bow - geograph.org.uk - 3756403.jpg|thumb|upright|Traditionally, anyone born within earshot of the bells of [[St Mary-le-Bow]] church was considered to be a true [[Cockney]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London noise 'mutes Bow Bells to endanger Cockneys' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18570802 |access-date=7 August 2023 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>]]
[[Cockney]] is an accent heard across London, mainly spoken by [[Working class|working-class]] and [[Lower middle class|lower-middle class]] Londoners. It is mainly attributed to the East End and wider East London, having originated there in the 18th century, although it has been suggested that the Cockney style of speech is much older.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2012 |title=Cockney |url=https://public.oed.com/blog/cockney/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Oxford English Dictionary |language=en}}</ref> Some features of Cockney include, [[Th-fronting|''Th''-fronting]] (pronouncing "th" as "f"), "th" inside a word is pronounced with a "v", [[H-dropping|''H''-dropping]], and, like most English accents, a Cockney accent [[Rhoticity in English|drops the "r"]] after a vowel.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McArthur |first1=Thomas |title=Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> John Camden Hotten, in his ''Slang Dictionary'' of 1859, makes reference to Cockney "use of a peculiar slang language" ([[Rhyming slang|Cockney rhyming slang]]) when describing the [[costermonger]]s of the East End. Since the start of the 21st century the extreme form of the Cockney dialect is less common in parts of the East End itself, with modern strongholds including other parts of London and suburbs in the [[home counties]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Extreme' form of Cockney dialect in decline, says report|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/10/extreme-form-of-cockney-dialect-in-decline-says-report-1953 |access-date=28 June 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> This is particularly pronounced in areas like Romford (in the London Borough of Havering) and Southend (in Essex) which have received significant inflows of older East End residents in recent decades.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mount |first=Harry |date=10 April 2012 |title=Word on the street in London |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/word-on-the-street-in-london-6487089.html |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>

[[Estuary English]] is an intermediate accent between Cockney and [[Received Pronunciation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estuary English Q and A – JCW |url=http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ee-faqs-jcw.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111062912/http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ee-faqs-jcw.htm |archive-date=11 January 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010 |publisher=University College London}}</ref> It is widely spoken by people of all classes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estuary English |url=https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |publisher=University College London}}</ref>

[[Multicultural London English]] (MLE) is a [[multiethnolect]] becoming increasingly common in multicultural areas amongst young, working-class people from diverse backgrounds. It is a fusion of an array of ethnic accents, in particular Afro-Caribbean and South Asian, with a significant Cockney influence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is MLE? – Language and Linguistic Science, University of York |url=https://www.york.ac.uk/language/research/projects/mle/what-is-mle/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |publisher=University of York}}</ref>

[[Received Pronunciation]] (RP) is the accent traditionally regarded as the standard for [[British English]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wells|first1=John|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|date=2008|publisher=Longman|isbn=978-1-4058-8118-0|edition=3rd|page=xix, para 2.1}}</ref> It has no specific geographical correlate,<ref>{{Cite web |title=English language - Varieties of English |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> although it is also traditionally defined as the standard speech used in London and south-eastern England.<ref>{{Cite web |title=English language – Characteristics of Modern English|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> It is mainly spoken by [[Upper class|upper-class]] and [[Upper middle class|upper-middle class]] Londoners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Received Pronunciation |url=https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/themes/received-pronunciation |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=The British Library |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728213418/https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/themes/received-pronunciation |url-status=dead }}</ref>