Muslims are the only major religious group in Oxford that has grown in size from 2011 to 2021.
Census data from the Office for National Statistics shows that their numbers have increased by 35.6%. That is still lower than the overall increase across England and Wales of almost 43%.
In absolute numbers, Oxford has seen its Muslim population grow from about 10,300 to 14,100 in ten years. That means that as of 2021, 8.7% of the city’s population was Muslim, making Islam Oxford’s second most popular religion. In all of England and Wales, the share lies at only 6.5%.
Still, Muslims are very much in the minority in Oxford. The number of Christians is almost four and a half times higher. And just as many people identify as having no religion whatsoever.
Tasnim Al-Hadidi, 23, a Muslim International Security Master’s student at Oxford Brookes University, describes her religion as a core foundation of her being.
Her beliefs give her guidance and inform “how I perceive life and how I understand life,” she said. She is balancing her religious practice with her duties as a student, combining some of the five daily prayers and sticking to the fasting rules during Ramadan.
Muhammad Ayaz, an 18-year-old first-year studying Motorsport Engineering at Brookes, also said that he had no difficulties balancing uni and faith.
“For me, Islam is much, much more than just a religion. It’s a lifestyle,” he replied to my inquiry. His actions are informed by his faith and religious teachings. “Without Islam, there’s realistically nothing for me to strive towards,” Mr Ayaz wrote.
“As a Muslim, I can always turn to Allah. I’m never alone, not in my highest, nor in my lowest.”
Not everyone needs to be part of an Islamic community to fulfil their spiritual needs.
“For me, when I practice religion, it’s very personal,” said Ms Al-Hadidi. “So I really don’t mind not having a community.”
But for those who are seeking the company of other Muslims, there are offers. There is an Islamic Society at Brookes, as well as a chaplain, and multi-faith prayer rooms—not to mention the various mosques spread throughout Oxford.
The significant increase in the city’s Muslim population matches a worldwide trend. The Pew Research Center found that Islam was the fastest-growing religion during the 2010s and had reached a share of more than a quarter of the world’s population.
Yet, as of 2020, only 2.2% of Muslims lived in Europe.
Returning to Oxford, the number of Muslims has shot up decisively in some areas. In Barton, a quiet and hilly suburb on the city’s eastern edge, the count of residents professing to Islam has risen by 128% from 2011 to 2021.
These upward trends stand in stark contrast to a 15.3% decrease in Christians. Meanwhile, the number of people without any religious affiliation has grown by a quarter.
Despite the fact that 3.9 million Muslims are part of English and Welsh society, public opinion is severely skewed against Islam. According to a 2025 YouGov poll, 53% think that the religion is not compatible with British values.
And a relative majority of 41% feel that Muslim immigrants have a negative impact on the UK.
The headline findings of a new House of Commons report show the apparent consequences of that sentiment: “Muslims in the UK face increasing levels of online, verbal, and physical abuse and discrimination.”
Similarly, Tell MAMA, an organisation documenting Islamophobia, saw a 165% increase in reported and verified cases of anti-Muslim hatred from 2022 to 2024.
Although it may only serve as anecdotal evidence, Ms Al-Hadidi said she didn’t experience any discrimination in Oxford so far. Neither did Mr Ayaz, who wrote that everyone had been quite welcoming.
As part of a religious minority, Mr Ayaz has mostly non-Muslim friends. “They’re extremely supportive. A few of them have even been fasting all of Ramadan with me out of choice, just to support and feel what it’s like,” he wrote.
“I think it helps that Oxford is a very diverse area.”
He feels supported and respected for who he is. And despite the aforementioned statistics about Islamophobia, Mr Ayaz is very open about his identity.
“I don’t hide the fact that I’m Muslim,” he wrote. “I’m not scared of people knowing who I am.”