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{{Short description|Diaspora community in the United Kingdom}}

{{Infobox Ethnic group
| group = British Gujaratis
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = File: Counties of the UK Gujarati.svg
| caption = Distribution by regional authority (England and Wales only)
| total = 600,000-800,000<ref name="ukncgo.org">{{cite web|title=Gujaratis in Britain: Profile of a Dynamic Community|url=http://ukncgo.org/gujaratis_britain.html|website=NATIONAL CONGRESS OF GUJARATI ORGANISATIONS (UK)|access-date=4 February 2015|archive-date=4 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204230146/http://ukncgo.org/gujaratis_britain.html}}</ref>
| popplace = [[London]]([[Wembley]]{{·}}[[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]]{{·}}[[Queensbury, London|Queensbury]]){{·}}[[Leicester]]{{·}}[[North West England|North West]]{{·}}[[Kirklees]]
| langs = [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]{{·}}[[English language|English]]{{·}}[[Hindi]]{{·}}[[Urdu]]
| rels = [[File:Om.svg|15px]] [[Hinduism]]{{·}} [[Islam]]{{·}} [[Jainism]]{{·}} [[Christianity]]{{·}} [[Zoroastrianism]]
| related = [[Gujaratis]]{{·}} [[British Indians]]{{·}} [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa|East African Indians]]
}}

'''British Gujaratis''' are residents of the [[United Kingdom]] who trace their ancestry to the region of [[Gujarat]]. They form the largest ethno-linguistic subgroup of [[British Indians]], numbering 800,000.<ref name="ukncgo.org">{{cite web|title=Gujaratis in Britain: Profile of a Dynamic Community|url=http://ukncgo.org/gujaratis_britain.html|website=NATIONAL CONGRESS OF GUJARATI ORGANISATIONS (UK)|access-date=4 February 2015|archive-date=4 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204230146/http://ukncgo.org/gujaratis_britain.html}}</ref> This includes a diverse population consisting of British-born Gujaratis,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gujaratis in Britain |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/gujaratis-in-britain |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en |quote="Fifty per cent of [British Gujaratis] are born in U.K."}}</ref> migrants directly from the region of [[Gujarat]], and [[Expulsion of Asians from Uganda|East African Gujaratis who migrated to the United Kingdom fleeing discrimination]].<ref name=":0" /> Around half of the United Kingdom's 2 million Indians have roots in Gujarat. Gujaratis have contributed significantly to British Indian and broader British culture. Gujaratis are known for having revitalised corner shops and being relatively prosperous among immigrant groups in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Shastri Ramachandaran |title=India has much to learn from Britain and Germany |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-india-has-much-to-learn-from-britain-and-germany-2001769 |access-date=22 October 2015 |website=dnaindia.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2013-01-08 |title=How Gujaratis changed corner shop biz in UK |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/LettersfromLondon/how-gujaratis-changed-corner-shop-biz-in-uk/ |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=Economic Times Blog |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
Gujarati connections with the United Kingdom date back to the [[British Raj]], when the [[East India Company]] founded a trading post in [[Surat]]. During [[British Raj|British colonization]], the Gujaratis and British participated in a significant exchange of information, including that of one another's histories.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Isaka |first=Riho |date=2002 |title=Gujarati Intellectuals and History Writing in the Colonial Period |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4412910 |journal= Economic and Political Weekly|volume=37 |issue=48 |pages=4867–4872 |jstor=4412910}}</ref> Today, many British Gujaratis are either themselves, or descended from, first generation immigrants from India. Alternatively, a notable amount are also descended from the Gujarati community of East Africa, who are themselves forcible migrants to the area. Despite being [[British Subject]]s, Gujaratis had restricted access to Britain after successive Immigration acts of [[Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962|1962]], [[Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968|1968]] and [[Immigration Act 1971|1971]]. However, many were accepted into the country following dictator [[Idi Amin]]'s [[Expulsion of Asians from Uganda|expulsion of Uganda's 80,000 strong Indian community in 1972]].

== Demographics ==
Today, nearly half of England's{{clarify|do you mean England or UK?|date=January 2023}} Gujarati speakers reside in Greater London, where they are predominantly found in the boroughs of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]], [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]], [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]], and [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-01 |title=Gujarati Community in the UK - Hansard - UK Parliament |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-10-30/debates/A4600766-5134-4B74-9F88-3E80B92A9767/GujaratiCommunityInTheUK |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=hansard.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref> Specifically, the community of [[Wembley]] and [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] has been considered a center for Gujarati culture and cuisine throughout London and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wembley Central - UK Census Data 2011 |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/wembley-central-e05000104}}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis |title=A case study of urban ethnicity: Harrow Gujaratis. |url=https://etheses.lse.ac.uk/1588/ |publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science |date=1986 |degree=phd |language=en |first=Iris |last=Kalka}}</ref> Additionally, the city of [[Leicester]] in the [[East Midlands]] has a very large Gujarati community, with those speaking [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] accounting for about 12% of the city's population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leicester - Main Language(detailed) |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/QS204EW/view/1946157130?rows=cell&cols=rural_urban}}</ref> The city's large Gujarati population has led to many calling it a "Gujarati city".<ref>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Andrew |date=1 January 2010 |title=Here, everyone is a minority |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/02/leicester-minority-immigration-diversity-faith |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=10 December 2005 |title=In Leicester, do as the Gujaratis do |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/in-leicester-do-as-the-gujaratis-do/story-OI6mTNR5sWey8xiSTwuGMK.html |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> However, several communities in [[Northern England]] also have large Gujarati populations including the primarily working-class towns of [[Bolton]], [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]], and [[Blackburn with Darwen]].

The majority of Gujaratis throughout the United Kingdom practice [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hinduism]], with significant minorities practicing [[Jainism in the United Kingdom|Jainism]], [[Islam in the United Kingdom|Islam]], and [[Christianity in the United Kingdom|Christianity]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reifsnider |first1=Usha |title=Transcultural Insights into the Christian Conversion of British Gujarati Hindus |journal=Studies in World Christianity |date=July 2020 |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=116–132 |doi=10.3366/swc.2020.0292}}</ref> [[London|London's]] Gujarati community is overwhelmingly Hindu, though Jain minorities exist in [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Harrow - UK Census Data 2011 |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/QS210EW/view/1946157269?rows=cell&cols=rural_urban |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=NOMIS}}</ref> Leicester's Gujarati community is largely [[Hindus|Hindu]], though parts of the city have large and influential [[Gujarati Muslims|Gujarati Muslim]] communities, which form the bulk of the city's Islamic population. However, [[Northern England]]'s Gujarati enclaves are largely [[Islam in the United Kingdom|Muslim]], though with [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hindu]] minorities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khalidi |first=Omar |date=8 September 2010 |title=Crescent obscured: Indian Muslims in Britain |url=http://twocircles.net/2010sep08/crescent_obscured_indian_muslims_britain.html |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=TwoCircles.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Gloucestershire Voices: Our Untold Stories - The Gujarati Muslim Community |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/untold_stories/asian/gujurati_community.shtml |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

Some people in the United Kingdom classified as "Gujarati" may be part of the [[Kutchi people|Kutchi]] ethnic group, whose homeland is northernmost parts of Gujarat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 2014 |title=Your Voice - Gujarati |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/gujarati.shtml |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=BBC}}</ref> Additionally, the [[Memon people|Memons]], who hail from the [[Kathiawar|Kathiawar Peninsula]] may be considered Gujarati despite their language being considered a dialect of [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]. The United Kingdom also has a large and influential community of [[Parsis]], who speak the Gujarati language despite practicing [[Zoroastrianism]].

== See also ==

* [[Gujarati people]]
* [[British Indians]]
* [[Anglo-Indian people|Anglo-Indians]]
* [[Expulsion of Asians from Uganda|Expulsion of Indians from Uganda]]

== References ==

<references />

{{Gujarati diaspora}}

[[Category:Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Gujarati diaspora]]
[[Category:British people of Gujarati descent| ]]

British Gujaratis - Revision history

AmanGautamArtist: New The Article V1