The West Ham constituency is situated in the London Borough of Newham. It covers the areas of West Ham, Forest Gate, Plaistow, Stratford, Maryland, Upton Park and Canning Town.

Figures for mid 2007 show the West Ham constituency to have a population of 126,021. The constituency has one of the fastest growing populations in the UK.

West Ham has an extremely young population; with 22% under 16 years old and 38% under 25. Just 12% are over 60 years old.

Newham has the most ethnically diverse population in the UK. More than 100 languages are spoken in the borough. Of resident population, just over 32% describe themselves as White British. Just under 34% describe themselves as Asian or Asian British. Just over 12% describe themselves as Black African and just over 6% describe themselves as Black Caribbean