London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and includes much of the regenerated London Docklands area. The 2019 mid-year population for the borough is estimated at 324,745.

The borough was formed in 1965 by merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally an alternative name for the historic Tower Division; the area of south-east Middlesex, focused on (but not limited to) the area of the modern borough, which owed military service to the Tower of London. The Tower of London itself is located in the borough, adjacent to its western boundary with the City of London.

The local authority is Tower Hamlets London Borough Council. In 2017, a joint study by Trust for London and New Policy Institute found Tower Hamlets to be the 2nd most deprived London borough (after Barking and Dagenham) based on an average calculated across a range of indicators; with high rates of child poverty, unemployment and pay inequality compared to other London boroughs. However, it has the lowest gap for educational outcomes at secondary level.

Some of the world's major headquarters and tallest buildings in London occupy Canary Wharf, the country's second largest financial district, in the southeast of the borough. Between 2014 and 2024, Tower Hamlets saw the completion of 71 skyscrapers, more than any other London borough. Also, part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is in the borough.

Demographically, Tower Hamlets has a large population of British Bangladeshis, forming the largest single ethnic group in the borough at 32%. The 2011 census showed Tower Hamlets to have the highest proportion of Muslims of any English local authority and was the only location where Muslims outnumbered Christians. The borough has 50 mosques and many madrasahs, including the East London Mosque, Britain's largest. Whitechapel restaurants, neighbouring street market and shops provide the largest range of Bangladeshi cuisine, woodwork, carpets and clothes in Europe. Brick Lane is also a major centre of hipster subculture.