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Represented predominantly by [[South Asian ethnic groups]], census data regarding birthplace and ethnicity demonstrate around a million Asian British people derive their ancestry between [[East Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[Central Asia]], and [[West Asia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/|title=Statistics - release calendar - GOV.UK|access-date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Since the [[2001 United Kingdom census|2001 census]], British people of general Asian descent have been included in the "Asian/Asian British" grouping ("Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British" grouping in Scotland) of the [[Census in the United Kingdom|UK census]] questionnaires.<ref name="autogenerated1991">{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ethnicity/focus-on-ethnicity-and-identity/a-guide-to-comparing-1991-and-2001-census-ethnic-group-data/comparing-1991-and-2001-census-ethnic-group-data.pdf|title=A guide to comparing 1991 and 2001 Census ethnic group data|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=27 April 2015}}</ref> Categories for [[British Indians]], [[British Pakistanis]], [[British Bangladeshis]], [[British Chinese]], [[Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom|British Hongkongers]] and other Asians have existed under an Asian British heading since the 2011 census.<ref name="ukcensus2011"/> In [[British English]] usage, especially in less formal contexts, the term "Asian" usually refers to people who trace their ancestry to the [[Indian subcontinent]] ([[South Asia]]), contrary to other Anglosphere countries such as [[Australia]] and the [[United States]], where the term "Asian" usually refers to people who trace their ancestry to the [[Far East]] (East Asia or Southeast Asia).
There is a long history of migration to the [[United Kingdom]] (and its predecessor states) from across [[Asia]]. British colonies and protectorates throughout Asia brought ''[[lascar]]''s (sailors and militiamen) to port cities in Britain. Immigration of small numbers of [[South Asians]] to England began with the arrival of the [[East India Company]] to the [[Indian subcontinent]], and the decline of the [[Mughal Empire]], at the end of the 16th century. Between the 17th and mid-19th century, increasingly diverse lascar crews heading for Britain imported [[East Asia]]ns, such as Japanese and Chinese seamen, [[Southeast Asia]]ns, such as [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]], South Asians such as the Indians (including the people from Pakistan), Bengalis and Ceylonese and post-[[Suez Canal]]; [[West Asia]]ns, such as Armenians and [[Yemenis in the United Kingdom|Yemenis]], who settled throughout the United Kingdom.
In particular, Indians also came to Britain, for educational or economic reasons, during the [[British Raj,]] (with most returning to India after a few months or years,)<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fisher|first=Michael H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC&q=settled|title=Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600–1857|chapter=Introduction |page=1 |isbn=978-81-7824-154-8|year=2006|publisher=Orient Blackswan }}</ref> and in greater numbers as the [[Indian independence movement]] led to [[partition of India|the partition of 1947]], eventually creating the separate countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The most significant wave of Asian immigration to and settlement in the United Kingdom came following the [[World War II|Second World War]], with the resumed control of [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], the [[Decolonization|breakup]] of the [[British Empire]] and the independence of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and later Bangladesh, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. An influx of Asian immigrants also took place following the [[Expulsion of Asians from Uganda|expulsion]] or flight of [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa|Indian communities]] (then holders of [[British passport]]s) from the newly -independent [[Indians in Uganda|Uganda]], [[Indians in Kenya|Kenya]] and [[Indians in Tanzania|Tanzania]] in the early 1970s.
Since the 2010s, British Asians have achieved positions of high political office:; [[Sadiq Khan]], (of [[Pakistan]]i descent,) became [[Mayor of London]] in 2016;, [[Rishi Sunak]], (of [[India|Indian]] descent,) became the first British Asian [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] in October 2022; and [[Humza Yousaf]], (also of Pakistani descent,) became [[First Minister of Scotland]] in March 2023.
According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census]], those5,515,420 identifyingpeople identified themselves as Asian British in England & Wales enumerated 5,515,420, or (9.3% of the population).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Census Maps, ONS |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/identity/ethnic-group/ethnic-group-tb-6a/asian-asian-british-or-asian-welsh |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=%22White%22%20remained%20the%20largest%20high,(48.2%20million)%20in%202011. |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>
==Terminology==
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