| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Somali-born residents 108,000 (2018 ONS estimate)[1] Somali ethnic or national identity 176,645 (England and Wales only, 2021 census)[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| London · Liverpool · Cardiff · Birmingham · Bristol · Manchester · Sheffield · Leicester | |
| Languages | |
| Majority: Somali and English Minority: Arabic and Chimwiini | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Islam (Sunni and Sufism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| British Ethiopians, British Eritreans and British Sudanese |
Somalis in the United Kingdom include British citizens and residents born in or with ancestors from Somalia. The United Kingdom (UK) is home to the largest Somali community in Europe, with an estimated 108,000 Somali-born immigrants residing in the UK in 2018 according to the Office for National Statistics. The majority of these live in England, with the largest number found in London. Smaller Somali communities exist in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Cardiff.
The earliest Somali immigrants in the UK were lascars and merchants who arrived in the 19th century. A second small group of seamen came during the Second World War with the Royal Navy from the British Somaliland (present-day Somaliland). During the 1980s and 1990s, the civil war in Somalia led to a large number of Somali immigrants, comprising the majority of the current Somali population in the UK.
British Somalis are one of the largest Muslim communities in the UK.
Notable British Somalis include notable sports figures, filmmakers, activists and local politicians. They have also established business networks and media organisations.