UK Charity Reveals Where UK Muslims Are Struggling the Most Due to Zakat Shortfall

Across the UK, thousands of Muslims are struggling, living in desperate situations and need financial support.

A key pillar of Islam, Zakat is a tax that all Muslims must pay on their excess wealth, which is distributed to other Muslims in need. This could be to pay for basic essentials, a roof over their head or to get back into work, helping to strengthen the UK Muslim community.

However, not all Muslims know there’s a need to give it where they live, and so, UK charity National Zakat Foundation (NZF), which provides financial support to Muslims across the UK through Zakat distribution, has revealed the areas that have the highest amount of Zakat shortfall and surplus.

The study analysed internal data from NZF’s interactive tool, Zakat Live, finding the total amount of Zakat given across 12 months from each local authority in the UK, compared to the total amount of Zakat distributed in each area.

The 10 local authorities which have the highest amount of Zakat shortfall:

• Belfast
• Brent
• Glasgow
• Liverpool
• Ealing
• Manchester
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Sheffield
• Gateshead
• Coventry

The local authority which tops the list is Belfast, which across the twelve-month period saw a Zakat shortfall of £180,444. This is largely due to only having £4,796 worth of Zakat given, compared to the £185,240 worth of Zakat given to Muslims in need in the local area.

Brent has taken second place, where despite £102,523 worth of Zakat being given, £241,352 worth of Zakat was used to support Muslims in that area, leaving a shortfall of £138,829. Following in third is Glasgow who had an overall Zakat shortfall of £123,021.

Across the whole of the UK, NZF reported a Zakat shortfall of £2,054,543 during the twelve-months analysed.

The study also delved deeper into the data to reveal the local authorities which had the highest zakat surplus.

The 10 local authorities which have the highest amount of Zakat surplus:

1. Redbridge
2. Buckinghamshire
3. Wandsworth
4. Birmingham
5. Rochdale
6. Sutton
7. Kingston upon Thames
8. Croydon
9. Westminster
10. Waltham Forest

Topping the list is the London borough of Redbridge, which across the twelve-month period saw a Zakat surplus of £303,321. This is largely due to £343,249 of Zakat being given, compared to the £39,928 used to help Muslims in need within the area.

Buckinghamshire has taken second place, where £126,395 worth of Zakat was given, compared to £10,327 of Zakat used to support Muslims in that area, leaving a surplus of £116,068. Following in third is the London borough of Wandsworth who had an overall Zakat surplus of £98,232.

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