White British

Population pyramid of the White British in 2021

The White British census classification have their ages more evenly distributed in their population pyramid and have the highest per cent female population of all ethnic-based classifications. The following numbers were based on the 2011 census conducted in each country. In England and Wales, about 64 per cent of the White British classification are between the ages of 16 and 64 while about 18 per cent are under 16 and 19 per cent 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 8 per cent male and 10 per cent female, making them have the lowest per cent male population among all census classifications defined as "ethnic" in the census.[12]

In Scotland, about 65 per cent of the White British classification are between the ages of 16 and 64 while about 17 per cent are under 16 and 18 per cent are over 64. Of those aged 65 or over, White British are 8 per cent male and 10 per cent female, the same percentages as in England and Wales.[13]

In Northern Ireland, about 13 per cent of the White classification are between the ages of 16 and 24 while about 21 per cent are under 16 and 65 per cent are over 24. Of those aged 25 or over, white people are 32 per cent male and 34 per cent female.[14]

According to the 2011 UK Census results, White British people made up the largest percentage of the population in rural areas, such as Allerdale (99.4%) and Copeland (99.3%) in Cumbria, Ryedale (99.4%) in North Yorkshire, North Norfolk (99.2%) and North Devon (99%). Cities across the UK regions with high White British populations included Swansea (91.5%), Kingston Upon Hull (89.7%), Plymouth (92.2%), Darlington (93.7%), Belfast (96.4% - NI classification "white"),[15] Norwich (84.7%), Liverpool (84.8%) and Chelmsford (90.0%). The highest unitary authority with a White British proportion was Redcar and Cleveland (97.6%) followed by Northumberland (97.2%), Hartlepool and County Durham (both 96.6%). The highest county was Lincolnshire (93%) followed by Nottinghamshire, Norfolk and Worcestershire, all above 92%. Within the London region, Havering had the highest White British percentage with 83.3%, followed by Bromley with 77.4%, Bexley with 77.3% and Richmond upon Thames with 71.4%.[1]

Since the 2011 UK Census was returned, London contained by far the lowest percentage of English and other White British people of all the UK regions, where they made up less than half of the population in 24 of the 32 boroughs, including: Newham (16.7%), Brent (18.0%), Ealing (30.4%), Harrow (30.9%), Tower Hamlets (31.2%), Westminster (35.2%) and Hackney (36.2%). Despite this, the White British population in London was still higher in numbers than the entirety of Wales or Northern Ireland, owing to London's high overall population. The city with the lowest White British population as a percentage was Leicester (45.1%) - also the only city below 50% without counting Westminster - while the lowest for unitary authorities was Slough (34.5%), followed by Luton (44.6%).[1] The local ward with the lowest percentage was Southall Broadway in Ealing (3.5%), followed by Southall Green in Ealing; Green Street East, Green Street West, and East Ham North, all in Newham, which were the only wards below five per cent.

White British population in regions of the UK

United Kingdom NUTS 1 Region's	Year
	2001[16][17][18]		2011[1][2][5]		2021[19][20]
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Northern Ireland[t 1]	1,670,988	99.1%	1,738,604	97.7%	1,765,971	92.8%
Scotland	4,832,756	95.4%	4,863,000	91.9%
Wales	2,786,605	96%	2,855,450	93.2%	2,814,427	90.9%
England	42,747,136	87%	42,279,236	79.8%	41,540,791	73.5%
North East England	2,425,592	96.4%	2,431,423	93.6%	2,397,557	90.6%
South West England	4,701,602	95.3%	4,855,676	91.8%	5,008,149	87.8%
North West England	6,203,043	92.1%	6,141,069	87.1%	6,019,385	81.2%
Yorkshire and the Humber	4,551,394	91.6%	4,531,137	85.8%	4,431,265	80.9%
East of England	4,927,343	91.4%	4,986,170	85.3%	4,972,149	78.5%
East Midlands	3,807,731	91.2%	3,871,146	85.4%	3,882,390	79.6%
South East England	7,304,678	91.3%	7,358,998	85.2%	7,315,058	78.8%
West Midlands	4,537,892	86.1%	4,434,333	79.2%	4,275,557	71.8%
Greater London	4,287,861	59.7%	3,669,284	44.9%	3,239,281	36.8%
Overall in the United Kingdom:[t 2]	52,728,717 (50,366,497[t 3])	89.7% (88.2%)	52,320,080 (49,997,686[t 4])	82.8% (81.5%)

• White British mapped out in local authorities
• 
  2001 (87.5%)
• 
  2011
• 
  2021 (74.4%)

• Population in counties in 2011
• 
  West Yorkshire
• 
  West Midlands
• 
  Greater Manchester (79.84% White British)

• Population in city districts in 2011
• 
  London (45.5% White British)
• 
  Leicester (45.06% White British)
• 
  Birmingham (53.14% White British)
• 
  Bradford (63.86% White British)
• 
  Bristol (77.86% White British)
• 
  Leeds (81.13% White British)
• 
  Sheffield (80.85 White British)
• 
  Luton (44.52% White British)
• 
  Nottingham (65.46% White British)
• 
  Coventry (66.63% White British)
• 
  Slough (34.52% White British)

According to official UK Government figures from 2016, the employment rate for White British people stood at 75%, with the overall employment rate in the UK standing at 74%.[25] UK Government figures also demonstrate that 31% of White British people work in professional and managerial occupations, higher than the Mixed (30%), Pakistani/Bangladeshi (27%) and Black (25%) groups, but lower than the Indian ethnic group (43%).[26]

At GCSE level, official UK Government statistics state that 63% of White British pupils attained A* to C grades in English and Mathematics in the 2015–16 academic year, higher than Black Caribbean (51%) and Pakistani (58%) pupils, but lower than Bangladeshi (67%), Indian (77%) and Chinese (83%) pupils.[27] According to a report by the Sutton Trust, "White working class pupils achieve the lowest grades at GCSE of any main ethnic group, with just a quarter of boys and a third of girls achieving 5 good GCSEs."[28] At A-Level, in the 2015–16 academic year, 11% of White British pupils achieved at least 3 'A' grades at A-Level; the only major ethnic groups to achieve the same benchmark at a higher rate were Indian (14%) and Chinese (24%) pupils.[29]

According to Department for Education statistics for the 2020-21 academic year, White British pupils attained slightly below the national average for academic performance at both A-Level and GCSE. 25.9% of White British pupils achieved at least 3 As at A Level[30] and an average score of 50.2 was achieved in Attainment 8 scoring at GCSE level.[31] White British pupils eligible for free school meals, a measurement of socioeconomic status, are found to be the largest disadvantaged group in education across the early years, GCSE performance and access to higher education.[32] Since 2007, out of all ethnicities aged 18 years old who have received a state education, white pupils have had the lowest rate of entry into higher education and have also seen the lowest rate of increase, from 21.8% in 2007 to 33.3% in 2021. For comparison, 72.1% of Chinese pupils and 48.6% of Black pupils gained a higher education place in the same year.[33]