London Borough of Islington | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms  Council logo | |
| Motto: We Serve | |
 Islington shown withinGreater London | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | London |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Created | 1 April 1965 |
| Admin HQ | Islington Town Hall,Upper Street, Islington |
| Government | |
| • Type | London borough council |
| • Body | Islington London Borough Council |
| • London Assembly | Sem Moema (Labour) AM forNorth East |
| • MPs | Jeremy Corbyn (Independent) Emily Thornberry (Labour) |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.74 sq mi (14.86 km2) |
| • Rank | 294th(of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 223,024 |
| • Rank | 87th(of 296) |
| • Density | 38,870/sq mi (15,010/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcodes | |
| Area code | 020 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-ISL |
| ONS code | 00AU |
| GSS code | E09000019 |
| Police | Metropolitan Police |
| Website | https://www.islington.gov.uk/ |
TheLondon Borough of Islington (/ˈɪzlɪŋtən/ ⓘIZ-ling-tən) is aborough inNorth London, England. Forming part ofInner London, Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under theLondon Government Act 1963, by the amalgamation of themetropolitan boroughs ofIslington andFinsbury.[1]
The new entity remains thesecond smallest borough in London and the third-smallestdistrict in England. The borough contains two Westminsterparliamentary constituencies;Islington North, represented by formerLabour Party leaderJeremy Corbyn, andIslington South & Finsbury represented by LabourMPEmily Thornberry. The local authority isIslington Council. The borough is home tofootball clubArsenal, one of thePremier League clubs in England, and its homeEmirates Stadium.
Islington was originally named by the SaxonsGiseldone (1005), thenGislandune (1062). The name means 'Gīsla's hill' from the Old Englishpersonal name Gīsla anddun 'hill', 'down'. The name then later mutated toIsledon, which remained in use well into the 17th century when the modern form arose.[2] In medieval times, Islington was just one of many small manors in the area, along withBernersbury,Neweton Berewe orHey-bury, andCanonesbury (Barnsbury, Highbury and Canonbury – names first recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries). "Islington" came to be applied as the name for the parish covering these villages, which became theMetropolitan Borough of Islington in 1900. On the merger with Finsbury to form the modern borough, the Islington name was used for the whole borough.
The area of the modern borough had historically been part of the county ofMiddlesex. From 1856 the area was governed by theMetropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across themetropolis of London.[3] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made theCounty of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised variousparish vestries and district boards. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised intometropolitan boroughs, two of which were calledIslington andFinsbury, the latter covering the combined area of the parishes ofClerkenwell,St Luke andSt Sepulchre, and theextra-parochial areas ofCharterhouse andGlasshouse Yard.[a][4][5]
The modern borough was created in 1965 under theLondon Government Act 1963. It was a merger of the old Islington and Finsbury metropolitan boroughs.[6]
The southern part of the borough, south of theA501 Pentonville Road and City Road, forms part of thecentral London congestion charging zone and theUltra Low Emission Zone. A significant part of the southern section of the borough borders theCity of London, with the area to the west bordering theLondon Borough of Camden. The central London area includesFarringdon andOld Street stations both in Zone 1.
Areas in the borough include:
The local authority is Islington Council, based atIslington Town Hall on Upper Street.[7]
Since 2000, for elections to theLondon Assembly, the borough forms part of theNorth East constituency.
Islington is represented by two parliamentary constituencies.Islington North is represented byJeremy Corbyn, elected in 2024 as anindependent. He was formerly a member of theLabour Party, and was its leader and the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition between 2015 and 2020.Islington South and Finsbury is represented byEmily Thornberry, former Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and current Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade of theLabour Party.
In theVictorian Age, some parts of Islington such asClerkenwell were known for theirpoverty, whichGeorge Gissing describes in hisnaturalist novel,The Nether World (1889). Since this time, Islington has been a subject ofgentrification and with the median house price rising rapidly since the2020 pandemic. With new headquarters forFacebook andGoogle close to the edge of the borough, along with Lawyer officesSlaughter & May on the edge of the borough, near theCity of London, the borough has seen a steady house prices, with median incomes rising significantly.
Inmarsat has its head office in the borough.[8]
There is one prison in Islington, a men's prison,HM Prison Pentonville. Until it closed in 2016 there was also a women's prisonHM Prison Holloway, which in the early 20th century was used to hold manysuffragettes.
The Borough boasts a large transport network for rail, bus, cycles and road users.
There are ten London Underground stations in the borough acrossLondon fare zones 1, 2 and 3. These stations are principally served by theNorthern,Piccadilly andVictoria lines, although theCircle,Hammersmith & City andMetropolitan lines also pass through the Borough:
The Piccadilly line carries passengers to key London destinations, including theWest End andHeathrow Airport. The Northern and Victoria lines also link the borough to the West End, whilst the Northern line (Bank branch) also passes through theCity of London.
Just beyond the borough's boundaries areKing's Cross St Pancras (in theLondon Borough of Camden) andMoorgate (in the City).
There are also severalLondon Overground stations in the borough, all but one of which are in London fare zone 2:
There are several otherNational Rail stations in Islington, which offer direct services to destinations across London,East Anglia andSouth East England:
Farringdon and Finsbury Park are served byThameslink services, with some trains travelling direct toGatwick Airport, as well as destinations includingCambridge,Peterborough,Brighton andSevenoaks. Other stations, including Finsbury Park, are served byGreat Northern trains which normally operate between Moorgate andWelwyn Garden City orStevenage viaHertford North. TheElizabeth line calls at Farringdon.
Moorgate lies just to the south of the borough, in the City of London, whilstKing's Cross lies to the borough's immediate west, with destinations includingSheffield,Leeds,Newcastle,Edinburgh andInverness.
In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 19.4% of all residents aged 16–74; bus, minibus or coach, 10.3%; on foot, 10.3%; bicycle, 6.2%; driving a car or van, 6.0%; train, 3.7%; work mainly at or from home, 3.6%.[9]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 65,721 | — |
| 1811 | 83,679 | +27.3% |
| 1821 | 108,333 | +29.5% |
| 1831 | 137,271 | +26.7% |
| 1841 | 162,717 | +18.5% |
| 1851 | 214,090 | +31.6% |
| 1861 | 266,010 | +24.3% |
| 1871 | 317,930 | +19.5% |
| 1881 | 369,850 | +16.3% |
| 1891 | 397,799 | +7.6% |
| 1901 | 405,301 | +1.9% |
| 1911 | 412,944 | +1.9% |
| 1921 | 401,054 | −2.9% |
| 1931 | 389,513 | −2.9% |
| 1941 | 324,143 | −16.8% |
| 1951 | 269,743 | −16.8% |
| 1961 | 232,258 | −13.9% |
| 1971 | 200,022 | −13.9% |
| 1981 | 157,512 | −21.3% |
| 1991 | 173,384 | +10.1% |
| 2001 | 175,787 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 206,125 | +17.3% |
| 2021 | 216,590 | +5.1% |
| Source:A Vision of Britain through time[10] | ||
In 1801, thecivil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 65,721. This rose steadily throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; exceeding 200,000 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate ofpopulation growth increased—reaching nearly 400,000 by the turn of the century; with theMetropolitan Borough of Finsbury particularly suffering deprivation, poverty and severe overcrowding. The increase in population peaked beforeWorld War I, falling slowly in the aftermath untilWorld War II began an exodus from London towards thenew towns under theAbercrombiePlan for London (1944). The decline in population reversed in the 1980s, but it remains below its 1951 level.
According to the2001 census Islington had a population of 175,797. It was 75% White, including 5% White Irish, 6% Black African, 5% Black Caribbean and 2% Bangladeshi. Thirty-two per cent of the borough's residents were owner–occupiers.
According to the2011 census, Islington has the highest population density of local authorities in England and Wales—13,875 people per square kilometre.[11]
Islington has the second highest proportion ofIrish people in the country, behindLondon Borough of Brent.[12]
A 2017 study byTrust for London and theNew Policy Institute found that a third of Islington residents lived in poverty. This is above the London average of 27%. It also found that 14% of local employees were in jobs which pay below the London Living Wage – the fourth lowest figure of any London borough.[13]
39% of the borough's residents identified as Christian, 12.8% Muslim, 1.7% Jewish and 42.7% had no religion.[14] Christians and Muslims live throughout the borough, while the Jewish population is most concentrated in the north of the borough in the Hillrise and Junction wards (borderingHighgate andCrouch End).
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses in Islington.
| Ethnic Group | Year | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 estimations[15] | 1981 estimations[16] | 1991 census[17][18] | 2001 census[19] | 2011 census[20] | 2021 census[21] | |||||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | – | 93.8% | 145,744 | 86.2% | 140,757 | 81.1% | 132,464 | 75.35% | 140,515 | 68.17% | 134,754 | 62.1% |
| White:British | – | – | – | – | – | – | 99,784 | 56.76% | 98,322 | 47.70% | 86,092 | 39.7% |
| White:Irish | – | 5.1% | – | – | – | – | 10,057 | 5.72% | 8,140 | 3.95% | 7,062 | 3.3% |
| White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 163 | 0.08% | 108 | 0.0% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 958 | 0.4% |
| White:Other | – | – | – | – | – | – | 22,623 | 12.87% | 33,890 | 16.44% | 40,534 | 18.7% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | – | 1.5% | 6,568 | 3.9% | 10,644 | 6.1% | 12,558 | 7.14% | 19,034 | 9.23% | 21,532 | 10.1% |
| Asian or Asian British:Indian | – | – | 1,872 | 2,526 | 2,851 | 1.32% | 3,534 | 2.06% | 4,051 | 1.9% | ||
| Asian or Asian British:Pakistani | – | – | 638 | 634 | 912 | 0.52% | 951 | 0.46% | 995 | 0.5% | ||
| Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi | – | – | 1,277 | 2,857 | 4,229 | 2.41% | 4,662 | 2.26% | 5,972 | 2.8% | ||
| Asian or Asian British:Chinese | – | – | 1,579 | 2,193 | 3,074 | 1.75% | 4,457 | 2.16% | 5,125 | 2.4% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | 1,202 | 2,434 | 1,492 | 0.85% | 5,430 | 2.63% | 5,389 | 2.5% | ||
| Black or Black British: Total | – | 4.7% | 14,397 | 8.5% | 18,472 | 10.6% | 20,856 | 11.86% | 26,294 | 12.76% | 28,743 | 13.3% |
| Black or Black British:African | – | 1.4% | 4,356 | 6,308 | 10,500 | 5.97% | 12,622 | 6.12% | 18,091 | 8.4% | ||
| Black or Black British:Caribbean | – | 3.3% | 7,501 | 8,824 | 8,550 | 4.86% | 7,943 | 3.85% | 7,368 | 3.4% | ||
| Black or Black British:Other Black | – | – | 2,540 | 3,340 | 1,806 | 1.03% | 5,729 | 2.78% | 3,284 | 1.5% | ||
| Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7,234 | 4.11% | 13,339 | 6.47% | 16,231 | 7.4% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,329 | 1.32% | 4,236 | 2.06% | 4,171 | 1.9% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,241 | 0.71% | 1,912 | 0.93% | 2,257 | 1.0% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,543 | 0.88% | 2,964 | 1.44% | 3,750 | 1.7% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,121 | 1.21% | 4,227 | 2.05% | 6,053 | 2.8% |
| Other: Total | – | – | 2,413 | 3,623 | 2,685 | 1.53% | 6,943 | 3.37% | 15,330 | 7.1% | ||
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,893 | 0.92% | 2,991 | 1.4% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,050 | 2.45% | 12,339 | 5.7% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | – | 6.2% | 23,378 | 13.8% | 32,739 | 18.9% | 43,333 | 24.65% | 65,610 | 31.83% | 81,836 | 37.9% |
| Total | – | 100% | 169,122 | 100% | 173,496 | 100% | 175,797 | 100.00% | 206,125 | 100.00% | 216,590 | 100% |
The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Islington according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.
| Religion | 2001[22] | 2011[23] | 2021[24] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Holds religious beliefs | 116,310 | 66.2 | 110,076 | 53.4 | 111,222 | 51.4 |
| Christian | 95,305 | 54.2 | 82,879 | 40.2 | 75,129 | 34.7 |
| Muslim | 14,259 | 8.1 | 19,521 | 9.5 | 25,840 | 11.9 |
| Sikh | 590 | 0.3 | 569 | 0.3 | 603 | 0.3 |
| Hindu | 1,751 | 1.0 | 2,108 | 1.0 | 2,195 | 1.0 |
| Buddhist | 1,840 | 1.0 | 2,117 | 1.0 | 1,813 | 0.8 |
| Jewish | 1,846 | 1.1 | 1,915 | 0.9 | 2,714 | 1.3 |
| Other religion | 719 | 0.4 | 967 | 0.5 | 2,930 | 1.4 |
| No religion | 41,691 | 23.7 | 61,911 | 30.0 | 88,466 | 40.8 |
| Religion not stated | 17,796 | 10.1 | 34,138 | 16.6 | 16,902 | 7.8 |
| Total population | 175,797 | 100.0 | 206,125 | 100.0 | 216,590 | 100.0 |
The London Borough of Islington is home to twohigher education institutions:
Moorfields Eye Hospital is a major centre for postgraduate training ofophthalmologists,orthoptists,optometrists, andnurses.
The borough also currently contains three colleges offurther education:
There are two performing arts colleges. TheUrdang Academy and theMusical Theatre Academy are both based in Islington.
The borough currently maintains 47 primary schools, 10 secondary schools, three special schools and five Pupil Referral Units. In 2000, Cambridge Education Associates, a private firm, took over the management of the Islington's state schools from thelocal education authority[25] but the education service returned to the Council in 2011.[26]
TheIslington Gazette is a local newspaper.
The Freedom of theBorough of Islington is awarded to people theIslington Council recognizes have "made an outstanding contribution to the community."[27] It is the highest honor the Council can bestow.
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