For many years, Highfields has been an extremely multicultural area, with a large ethnic minority, and rapidly evolving population, traditionally being an area occupied by recent immigrants to the city, as well as students from the near by University of Leicester.
The area has played host to numerous waves of migration to Leicester and subsequent generations, notably including Indian, Jewish, Irish, Polish, Somali, Pakistani, and Caribbean populations, who have contributed significantly to the area's character and rich cultural diversity.