White British

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"White British" was an ethnic-based classification used by the 2001 census in the United Kingdom. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people (85.7% of the population) in the United Kingdom were classified as White British.^[1] In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: "White Scottish" and "Other White British"^[2]. The classification did not appear in Northern Ireland where the comparable classification is described simply as "White".^[3] As such, a single "White British" choice only existed in the census in one of the three census areas of the United Kingdom, England and Wales. The two subcategories used in the census in Scotland are grouped within "White British" for the purposes of UK-wide statistical analysis.

The 2001 census included the category "White Irish" as an ethnic classification in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Non-British and non-Irish respondents in Great Britain could choose "White Other". Neither of these classifications appeared in Northern Ireland. According to an August 2008 article in the Daily Mail, 64.4% of children born in England and Wales in 2005 were recorded as "White British". The "White British" population is one of the few UK ethnic classifications that is decreasing in size, as well as percentage of the overall population.^[4]

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Population

The "White British" census clasification have their ages more evenly distributed in their population pyramid and have the highest percent female population of all ethnic-based classifications. About 64% percent of the "White British" classification are between the ages of 16 and 64 while about 19% percent are under 16 and 19% percent are over 64. All other census classifications have a higher percentage of their population under 16 and a lower percentage over 64. Of those aged 65 or over, "White British" are 41% percent male and 59% percent female, making them have the lowest percent male population among all census classifications defined as "ethnic" in the census.^[5]

As a general rule^{[citation needed]}, "White British" people make up the largest percentage of the population in rural areas, as well as a few large cities particularly in Northern Ireland, North East England, Wales and Scotland. London contains by far the lowest percentage of "White British" people of all the UK regions, where they make up less than half of the population in two of the 32 boroughs and some areas of others. The city with the lowest "White British" population as a percentage is Leicester. Slough is also comparable to Leicester, whilst not being a major city. Outside London, the highest densities of non-white classifications are found in Greater Birmingham, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, the larger cities of the East Midlands and satellite-towns of London, such as Luton. There are also significant numbers of non-white people in most major British cities, while the far northern, western and eastern rural fringes of the UK contain the largest percentage of "White British" people anywhere in the UK.

[edit] Employment

"White British" have a lower self-employment rate and lower percent in managerial or professional occupations compared to all ethnic-based classifications. "White British" are about 13% percent self-employed with Irish 16% percent self-employed. "White British" with 27% percent have a slightly lower percent of their population in managerial and professional positions compared to all ethnic groups. Among "White British", Irish with about 35% have a greater percent of their population in managerial or professional positions.^[6]

The census group "White British" have unemployment rates of about 4% percent with less unemployment for women. Smaller ethnic-based classifications who marked "Other White" have a slightly higher unemployment rate.^[7] "White British" have an economic inactivity of 20% percent with higher rates for women. Among "White British", the smaller ethnic-based classifications who marked "Other White" have a slightly higher economic inactivity.^[8]

[edit] Religion

Statistically, "White British" people in the United Kingdom are more likely to be Christian than other ethnic-based classifications. "White British" are 75% Christian, mostly Anglican, while the percentage for all "ethnic" groups is a little less than 75%. About 17% of the "White British" population reported having "no religion". The 17% percent figure for "no religion" is about the same for all groups. About 7% percent of the "White British" group declined to state any religion.^[9]

[edit] Households

"White British" people in the United Kingdom have an average household size smaller than comparable census groups, with an average of 2.3 people per household.^[10] According to Dr. Erini Flouri, indigenous British boys have less social behaviour^{[clarification needed]} than British Indians who attended the same school in South England. The "White British" girls in the study have a similar social adjustment compared to British Indian girls. Unlike the British Indians in the study, "White British" children attribute their social adjustment difficulties to less parental involvement.^[11]

[edit] See also

• Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
• Demographics of England from the 2001 United Kingdom census
• Demographics of Scotland
• List of United Kingdom censuses
• Census 2001 Ethnic Codes
• National Statistics Socio-economic Classification

[edit] References