London, United Kingdom – A new report by the Muslim Council of Britain reveals that Muslims now make up 6.5% of the population in England and Wales, with a median age of just 27 – 13 years younger than the national average. Nearly half are under 25, making British Muslims one of the youngest and fastest-growing demographic groups in the country.

Researchers warn that this shift could have significant political implications if the voting age is lowered to 16, potentially adding around 150,000 new Muslim voters. Miqdad Asaria, associate professor at the London School of Economics, stated: "This is a young, British-born, highly educated generation. Politicians who still think of Muslims as outsiders are reading from a script that is 20 years out of date."

The report also highlights stark inequalities: approximately 110,000 Muslim households (10.3%) are lone-parent families with dependent children, compared to the national average of 6.9%. Homeownership among Muslims stands at 41.5%, well below the national average of 63%. Asaria emphasized: "This is not a story of cultural failing. It is a story of structural disadvantage that has barely shifted in 20 years."

However, signs of social mobility are evident: Muslim women's economic activity has risen by 37% over two decades. Nearly a third of Muslims now hold degrees, and among 16-24-year-olds, Muslims exceed the national average for degree attainment. Abdul-Azim Ahmed, deputy director of the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, noted: "Muslims are developing and maturing faster than public understanding."

For researchers, the central question is no longer whether Muslims belong, but whether Britain's institutions are prepared for the scale of demographic and social change already underway.

Source: www.aljazeera.com