Since the mid-20th century, the UK has been the leading European destination for Indians looking for new prospects abroad. Today the country hosts millions of people of Indian origin, and the Indian community there is the UK’s largest ethnic minority population. But where have all those people settled? As an Indian, what are the best places in the UK to live in? And how is life in the UK for Indians in general? In this article, we go over some of the locations preferred by Indians, explore their suitability for students and professionals, and list the best places to live in the UK for Indian families.
The two countries have had strong ties for centuries. Early on, the majority of Indians in the UK were sailors, as well as students and medical professionals; in the first half of the 20th century their number was estimated to be around 8,000 people. Unsurprisingly, back then port cities were the best places to live in the UK for Indians. However, after World War II and in the wake of the breakup of the British Empire, there was an influx of Indian workers into the UK. They were employed on the railways, in the textile and manufacturing industries, and in the newly established National Health Service; many also set up wholesale and retail businesses to afford a UK place to live and provide for their families.
By 2021, nearly 2 million people of Indian ethnicity lived in England and Wales alone, accounting for 3.1% of the UK population. Besides London, which 37% of the British Indian diaspora apparently considers the best place to live in the UK for Indians, the top 5 local authorities in terms of the Indian population are the following:
| Local authority | Percentage of Indian people living there | Number of Indian residents |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | 6.6% | 93,335 |
| Birmingham | 4.6% | 64,621 |
| Harrow | 4.5% | 63,051 |
| Brent | 4.1% | 58,017 |
| Ealing | 3.4% | 48,240 |
But which are the best places to live in the UK for Indian families? Or students? Or young single professionals? Let us have a closer look at the pros and cons of different locations.
London
Naturally, it is the capital, with its endless employment opportunities, prominent universities, and vibrant cultural life, that might seem to be the best place to live in the UK for Indians. Indeed, around 543,000 people of Indian origin have settled down here, constituting 6.6% of the capital’s population.
Indians prefer to find residence in the western part of the city. Specifically, boroughs such as Harrow, Brent, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Redbridge, Newham, Barnet, and Croydon are the best places to live in London for Indians. With those more well-off, that of particular demand is Northwood, a quiet suburb that is turning into an Indian “Millionaires’ Row”.
While it might not be the cheapest or the safest place to live in the UK, without a doubt, London is an ideal destination for any type of specialist. It is an industrial hub and one of the global financial and investment centres. It is also home to East London Tech City, a major cluster of IT companies, which might, in the future, shift the best place to live in London for Indians from west to east, considering the rising number of Indian IT specialists employed in the UK. Also, major medical service providers located in the capital, including St George’s Hospital and King’s College Hospital, offer employment opportunities for medical professionals: Today, most of the newly recruited foreign doctors (20%) and nurses (46%) in the UK come from India.
With its countless museums, theatres, historical landmarks, clubs, and bars, leisure time in London is never boring. In addition, the UK capital is home to a whopping 3,600 Indian restaurants, more than Delhi and Bombay combined, and that alone makes it one of the best places to live in the UK for Indians.
Students
Full-time students account for about 1.5% of people of Indian ethnicity in the UK. In 2022, almost 118,000 student visas were issued to Indians, an 89% increase in a year. In addition to being an English-speaking country, the UK’s success rate for visa applications is an impressive 96%. There are government-funded scholarship programmes, such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships, as well as a few other initiatives including Rhodes and British Council scholarships.
Moreover, there are work-related benefits. First, international students in the UK are allowed to work 20 hours per week and may expect to earn a weekly average of 100 pounds. So, for those looking for extra income during their studies, larger cities with more employment prospects would be the best UK places to live. Second, there is the so-called Graduation Route, which allows international students to work for up to 2 years in the UK after they have completed their studies. Over 40% of such post-study visas go to Indians. All this means that even if you go to the UK to study, you might still be able to send some money back home. It is very easy to do these days with online money transfer services such as Profee, which offers the most favourable terms for transfers to India: no fees and the most competitive GBP/INR exchange rate on the market!
As a major education centre with a vibrant multicultural environment, London is arguably one of the best cities in the UK for Indian students. Several of its universities, including the University of Greenwich and the University of East London, are nationwide leaders in terms of the number of Indian students enrolled. Thanks to its flourishing job market, London is probably the best place in the UK to live in, both as an Indian student and graduate.
Another attractive destination for Indian students is Leicester, where over 28% of the population is of Indian origin; that alone makes it one of the UK best places to live in for Indians. The University of Leicester is known for its Medical School and collaborates with the Public Health Foundation of India. It is also one of the few universities in the UK to specialise in space sciences, which might interest those dreaming of a career with the Indian Space Research Organisation. If medicine or space are your passions, then Leicester is probably one of the best places in the UK to live in for you.
Birmingham hosts the UK’s third-largest Indian community of over 65,000 people. Home to five universities, it is a city with one of the youngest, most diverse populations in Europe. The prominent University of Birmingham, named the most targeted university by the UK’s top 100 graduate employers, has around 900 Indian students, and the overall student population is close to 65,000, which makes Birmingham one of the best cities in the UK for Indian students.
Families
When choosing the best place to live in the UK for an Indian family, there are several factors to consider, including:
- access to quality education
- access to healthcare facilities
- effective transportation
- affordable housing
- community
Major cities such as London or Manchester offer better employment opportunities but might be neither the cheapest nor the safest places to live in the UK for a family. However, there are smaller towns which provide ‘value for money’ for families and are only a short drive away from the metropolises.
For example, to the west of London, there is Slough, which has over 30,000 residents of Indian origin and boasts good grammar schools. It is also a fast-growing economy with many corporations headquartered there, from Mars, Inc. to McAfee to O2. Some may argue that Slough might not be the best place to live in the UK for Indian families, but its Indian community is known for its support to newcomers, including women and elderly people.
Sandwell borders the City of Birmingham and is home to more than 44,000 people of Indian ethnicity (Panjabi is the most spoken language after English here, so it might be the best place to live in the UK for Indians who are Panjabi-speaking). There are over 120 schools in Sandwell and many green areas, including several nature reserves. It is also close to Wolverhampton, a city with a 42,000-strong Indian community and a rich cultural life. And yes, when choosing UK places to live, it makes sense to look at the neighbouring cities and communities.
For those working in Manchester, Bolton might be one of the best places in the UK to live for an Indian family. With over 26,000 Indian residents, the city has many schools and a university, as well as theatres and museums. The biggest hospital in the UK, the Manchester Royal Infirmary, is less than an hour drive away. And according to one survey, Boltonians are the friendliest people in Britain!
Home
If you have successfully found a job or enrolled in a university in the UK, your family and friends back in India would insist on knowing everything about this exciting experience, wouldn’t they? How is life in the UK for Indians? What are the best places in the UK to live in? Is the food as bad as they say? This might make you feel nostalgic, but you know the important part: from now on, you are able to financially support them. And once you open a UK bank account, sending money to India is easy, especially with Profee. You only need a UK bank card, a smartphone, and a couple of minutes of your time to arrange your first money transfer. Sign up on www.profee.com or download the app and brighten up the lives of your loved ones back home!
