In 2021, 82.9% (160,710) of usual residents in Bury identified their ethnic group within the high-level “White” category, similar to the figure for England and Wales (81.7%, 48.7 million). This is a significant reduction from the figure for Bury for 2011 when 89.2% of usual residents in Bury identified their ethnic group as “White”, consistent with the reduction seen for England and Wales from 86% in 2011 to 81.7% in 2021.

As part of the "White" ethnic group, 78.2% of the total population in Bury identified their ethnic group as “English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British”, a decrease from 85.3% in the 2011 census. This is consistent with the national figures as 74.4% (44.4 million) of the total population in England and Wales identified their ethnic group as “White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British” in 2021, which is a continued decrease from 80.5% (45.1 million) in 2011, and from 87.5% (45.5 million) who identified this way in 2001.

The table below shows the percentage of each high-level category ethnic group for the 26 MSOA’s in Bury (with the total of 100% for each MSOA).

Within Bury, the MSOA’s with the highest proportion of people living there who reported their ethnicity as “White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British” are Nuttall & Tottington, closely followed by Summerseat, and the MSOA’s with the lowest proportion of residents who identify as “White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British” are Fernhill & Pimhole, followed by Buckley Wells & Fishpool. The highest proportion of residents in Bury who identify their ethnicity as “Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh” live in Fernhill and Pimhole MSOA.

The table below shows ethnic group by ward.

The Bury ward with the highest percentage of White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British is North Manor at 94.2%.  Bury East is the lowest at 53.4%.