Italians in the Manchester consular district (2025)
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Starting today, 30 December 2025, the statistical study “Italians in the Manchester Consular District” is available for download. The report was produced through a joint initiative of the Consulate of Italy in Manchester and the Manchester Comites. Using AIRE data, the publication provides an up-to-date snapshot of the Italian community in the area and offers a shared evidence base for institutions, associations, researchers, the media, businesses and citizens.
Versione in italiano:
English version:
As of 31 December 2024, AIRE-registered residents in the district totalled 120,825, with an average age of 35.5 years, significantly lower than the national averages in Italy and the United Kingdom. The Italian presence is spread across the entire district, with two main urban hubs in Greater Manchester and Birmingham (around 28,000 Italian residents each) and sizeable communities in many other cities across the Midlands and the North of England. The report outlines a layered community: from the historic “Little Italies”, to the post-war flows into the textile sector, to intra-EU mobility in the 2000s, later interrupted by Brexit.
A key finding comes from comparing AIRE data with other local statistical sources, which suggests a potential additional pool of around 13,000 Italian citizens living in the district who are not yet registered with AIRE.
A further analysis highlights the role of secondary migration within the Italian community in central and northern England: almost one registrant in two comes from trajectories starting in non-European contexts (including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana and Nigeria), followed by a long period in Italy and the acquisition of Italian citizenship, and then relocation to the United Kingdom, often together with the family unit.
Data on educational attainment, employment status and territorial origin describe a diverse migration profile that cannot be reduced to a single social or professional category.
The study, in PDF format, can now be downloaded free of charge from the websites of the Consulate of Italy in Manchester and the Manchester Comites.