Data and evidence

At the time of the 2021 Census 2.87 million people were recorded as living in Greater Manchester.

The new Equalities & Inclusion Strategy sets the objective to 'fully understand Greater Manchester's people and places, existing inequalities and evidence-based decision making, including intersectionality, and apply that understanding in everything we do'.

Good quality data should be at the heart of all policy and programme planning and implementation. Understanding who a policy or programme will impact should be central to the development and design of all work that TfGM carries out to deliver the ambition to make TfGM's network truly integrated, accessible and inclusive.

As a starting point in the lifecycle of any project, project managers should undertake an Equality Impact Assessment -- using the most accurate data available -- to determine which groups with protected characteristics will be impacted by the proposals. TfGM have created a template and guidance documents to assist project managers with this.

Below, we present an overview of diversity within Greater Manchester, drawing on the latest census data. However, in many cases, more localised or specific data may be available to tailor a project to the needs of those it will impact.

Alongside the 2021 Census, we will also collate and incorporate emerging research, insight collected by TfGM, and findings from relevant local and national surveys and studies. This wider body of evidence will be included in the strategy, and these webpages will be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect the latest information.

Sex

• GM’s population is 51% female and 49% male. (2021 Census)
• 0.1% identify as trans men, 0.1% as trans women, and 0.1% as non-binary or other gender identities.
• Women are more likely to ‘trip chain’ journeys (e.g., school run, errands), impacting their ability to walk, wheel, cycle, or use public transport.
• Safety is a significant concern when travelling on public transport: 82% of women express safety concerns when walking or using public transport, compared to an overall average safety perception of 75%.
• Women now make up 39.4% of the workforce at TfGM; however, the gender pay gap shows women earn 95p for every £1 men earn (median hourly pay).
• Women are under-represented in the highest-paid workforce quartile (29.9%) and over-represented in the lowest-paid quartile (38.7%).

Age

• 15% of GM’s population is aged 65 or older, and 32% are under 25.
• The 75+ age group is projected to increase by 50% by 2041 (ONS projections).
• Three out of five people aged 75+ are digitally excluded, with one-third never using the internet.
• Older adults are more likely to face challenges like uneven pavements and obstructed pedestrian paths but report high ease with multi-modal journeys (83% compared to the GM average of 75%).
• For young people, public transport is a lifeline, with school and college trips making up 15% of all journeys. Safety, particularly when travelling to and from stops, is a significant concern among school-aged groups.

Disability

• 24% of GM residents identify as disabled or having a long-term limiting condition (2021 Census).
• 92% of disabled people nationally report experiencing barriers with at least one mode of transport (National Centre for Accessible Transport, 2023).
• Disabled people in GM make 40% fewer public transport journeys than non-disabled people and are more likely to find fares unaffordable (69% now find them affordable, up from 46% in 2022).
• Key barriers include inaccessible infrastructure, confusing concessionary travel application processes, inconsistent layouts across services, lack of BSL representation, and insufficient inclusion training for staff.
• 4.5% of TfGM's workforce identify as disabled, although underreporting is acknowledged due to voluntary disclosure.

Ethnicity

• 29% of GM’s population are from Black, Asian, or other ethnic minority communities, with at least 91 main languages spoken (2021 Census). Urdu, Arabic, and Polish are among the most common.
• Black and Asian representation within TfGM stands at 2.99% and 6.2% respectively, below GM’s wider diversity.
• Residents from Black and Black British backgrounds are more reliant on bus travel and have lower car ownership levels.
• Ease of making multi-modal journeys is lower among ethnic minority groups (68% compared to the 75% GM average).
• Department for Transport (2024) research shows that ethnic minority communities are more concerned about discrimination, violence, and harassment on public transport.
• Fare satisfaction among residents experiencing racial inequalities rose from 52% in 2022 to 71% in 2024, but remains lower than the 78% satisfaction rate among White British residents.

Religion or belief

• 47% of GM residents identify as Christian, 13% as Muslim, 1% as Hindu, 1% as Jewish, and 32% report no religion (2021 Census).
• Over the past decade, Christianity declined by 19%, while Muslim (61% increase), Hindu (19% increase), and Jewish (12% increase) populations grew.
• GM’s evolving religious profile emphasises the need for inclusive transport services that recognise and respect diverse faith communities.

Sexual orientation

• 89.3% of GM residents identify as heterosexual, 2% as gay or lesbian, and 1.4% as bisexual (2021 Census).
• Within TfGM, 5.4% of employees identify as gay or lesbian, and 2.4% as bisexual
• University of Manchester (2024) research found that young lesbian women feel unsafe being openly affectionate on public transport, fearing harassment and sexualisation.

Socio-economic deprivation

• 45% of GM residents fall into the ‘Stretched Society’ or ‘Low Income Living’ ACORN categories, compared to 33% nationally (CACI ACORN 2024).
• Lower-income residents are more reliant on bus services for travel.
• 87% of residents have taken steps to save money in the face of the rising cost of living (GM Residents Quarterly Survey, Nov 2024), including reducing non-essential public transport journeys and cycling more.
• Affordability of public transport has improved, with 77% of residents in 2024 agreeing they can afford to travel as much as they like, up from 56% in 2022.