White British

"White British" was a racially-based classification used by the 2001 census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people (85.7% of the population) in the United Kingdom were classified as indigenous White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: "White Scottish" and "Other White British" [ [http://www.cre.gov.uk/diversity/ethnicity/whitebritish.html Equality and Human Rights Commission - home page ] ] . The classification did not appear in Northern Ireland where the comparable classification is described simply as "White". [ [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/harmonisation/downloads/P3.pdf Microsoft Word - P3 - Ethnic Group - amended contact detailsNov06.doc ] ] 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. [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1050593/Only-babies-born-England-Wales-white-British.html Only two in three babies born in England and Wales are white British, Daily Mail] ]

Demographics

Population

The White British census group have their ages more evenly distributed in their population pyramid and have the highest percent female population of all ethnic groups. About 64% percent of the White British group are between the ages of 16 and 64 while about 19% percent are under 16 and 19% percent are over 64. All other census groups 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 groups defined as "ethnic" in the census. [National Statistics. "Age/Sex Distribution". 2001. 18 August 2001..]

As a general rule, indigenous British people make up the largest percentage of the population in rural areas, although there are a few large cities that are almost exclusively indigenous, particularly in Northern Ireland, North East England, Wales and Scotland. London contains by far the lowest percentage of indigenous British people of all the UK regions, with indigenous British people making up less than half of the population in two of the 32 boroughs and some areas of others. The city with the lowest indigenous 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 groups 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 indigenous British people anywhere in the UK.

Employment

White British have a lower self-employment rate and lower percent in managerial or professional occupations compared to all ethnic groups. 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. [National Statistics. "Employment Patterns". 2004. 18 August 2006. .]

Indigenous people in the United Kingdom are the most employed and economically active among the general British population. Indigenous Britons have the lowest unemployment rate among all ethnic groups in the United Kingdom. The census group White British have unemployment rates of about 4% percent with less unemployment for women. Smaller White ethnic groups who marked "Other White" have a slightly higher unemployment rate. [National Statistics. "Ethnicity and Identity". 2004. 18 August 2006. .] White British have the lowest rates of economic inactivity i.e. neither working nor looking for work. White British have an economic inactiviy of 20% percent with higher rates for women. Among White British, the smaller White ethnic groups who marked "Other White" have a slightly higher economic inactiviy. [National Statistics. "Ethnicity and Identity". 2004. 18 August 2006. .]

Religion

Statistically, indigenous people in the United Kingdom are slightly more Christian than other ethnic groups. White British are 75% Christian, while the percentage for all ethnic groups is a little less than 75%. About 17% of the indigenous population reported having "no religion". The 17% percent figure for "no religion" is about the same for all ethnic groups. About 7% percent of the White British group declined to state any religion. [National Statistics. "Religion". 2001. 18 August 2006. .]

Households

Indigenous people in the United Kingdom have an average household size smaller than comparable census groups, with an average of 2.3 people per household. [National Statistics. "Households". 2001. 18 August 2006. .] According to Dr. Erini Flouri, indigenous British boys have less social behaviourclarifyme than British Indians who attended the same school in South England. The indigenous British girls in the study have a similar social adjustment compared to British Indian girls. Unlike the British Indians in the study, indigenous children attribute their social adjustment difficulties to less parental involvement. [Flouri, Erini. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Volume 10, No. 1. 2005. 19 August. 2006. . ]

See also

* 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

References

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