Categories

Country of birth

For many years, the only statistics regularly available in Britain were based on people's country of birth. This was of limited reliability (e.g. a small but significant number of white people were born in other countries, such as India, when it was ruled by Britain).

As second and third generation children have been born since the main periods of migration, a person's country of birth has become increasingly less relevant in these surveys, when used on its own.

Nationality

Some countries use nationality to define ethnicity. However, many of the disadvantages and other experiences associated with minority status continue long after migrants have qualified for citizenship.

The nationality laws associated with Britain's former empire are also far too complex for this to be a useful measure on its own.

Language spoken at home

For some minority ethnic groups, the language they speak at home may be an effective way of defining ethnicity. Such a question has commonly been asked in large national surveys of minority ethnic groups. This is helpful when an interviewer requires knowledge of a particular language to conduct the interview.

However, as time goes on, this measure is becoming increasingly less useful. This is because, with the emergence of the second and third generations, young families may use English as their main language, even though they still identify with particular minority ethnic groups.

Parents' country of birth in conjunction with country of birth

The country of birth of the respondent's parents which, taken together with the respondent's own country of birth, enables data to be produced about both first and second-generation migrants to the UK.

But this approach is rather imprecise because of a small but significant number of the White population being born in parts of the Commonwealth.

The increasing proportion of ethnic minority groups being born in the UK means that the two questions are no longer adequate as a means of measuring the ethnic minority population.

Skin Colour

Skin colour is another way of defining ethnicity. After all, the majority group is defined as 'White', and some (or even all) minorities are often referred to as 'Black'.

Colour can also reflect the fact that minority status is likely to follow from generation to generation, whatever changes occur in the cultural behaviour of the people concerned.

On the other hand, colour cannot be used to distinguish between minority groups (for example between Caribbeans and Africans, or between Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) and is not acceptable to some people. So it is an inadequate measure on its own.

National/Geographical Origin

A question may include aspects of national or geographical origin, with the assumption that these will signify a respondent's ethnic group.

For example, the terms 'West Indian' or 'Indian' are used for members of ethnic groups originating in those parts of the world.

National or geographical origin can be combined with a colour term such as 'Black', as in 'Black-African', which can identify more precisely an ethnic group.

This is particularly useful for people originating from a part of the world that is multi-ethnic, such as the West Indies.

Racial group

Ethnic identification sometimes extends beyond national origin or geography. Categories such as 'Chinese' or 'Arab' are, in effect, racial classifications of a kind, even if they also have some geographical connotations.

Religion

For some ethnic minorities, such as the Asian communities, religion is one of the important defining characteristics. For this reason, a question on religion was included on the 2001 Census.

The table shows the religious breakdown of each ethnic group. This breakdown is particularly important when looking at Asian sub-categories. It plainly shows that within the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, Islam is the main religion while, in the Indian community, Sikhs and Hindus are in the majority.

This page last revised: Tuesday 4 November 2003