Census 2001 - Ethnicity in Lancashire

The following information has been derived from the Census 2001 section of the Office for National Statistics website. Census day was 29 April 2001, and the data present a snapshot of the number of people in various broad ethnic groups on that particular day.

Ethnic Groups

The information in Table 1 has been divided by five ethnic groups. The ethnic group question contained on the census form was similar to the one asked in 1991, but did incorporate changes in some categories. In particular, people could tick 'mixed' for the first time. The question asked, "What is your ethnic group? Choose one section from A to E then tick the appropriate box to indicate your cultural background."

The above five sections list the most common cultural backgrounds out of a wide variety of possible options. The introduction of the mixed ethnic group category B and the fact that dual options are available for C & D emphasise the variety of the options available.

Established ethnic groups now contain different generations that have their own distinct perspective on their cultural heritage. The growth of mixed ethnic relationships and the increasing residence options available via an expanding European Union all combine to present a dynamic picture that blurs the distinctions between various groups and sub-groups. The categorisation of people into easily identifiable options is therefore liable to become more and more subjective in future years.

National Perspective

The 2001 Census revealed that 54.2 million or 92.1% of the UK population gave their ethnic group as white British, Irish or other white background. The remaining ethnic groupings accounted for 4.6 million or 7.9% of the total population of the United Kingdom in April 2001.

The Lancashire Perspective

In the Lancashire NUTS-2 area, which includes Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool Unitary Authorities, 1.32 million or 93.4% of the 1.41 million residents gave their ethnic group as white British, Irish or other white background, slightly more than the national average. A further 93,300 or 6.6% of the Lancashire population were included in a range of other ethnic groupings. Table 1 details the breakdown of ethnic groups in Lancashire by district and sub-region. East Lancashire contains the highest proportion of ethnic minorities, representing 11.8% of the total population of the area, whilst in comparison the proportion in North Lancashire is 1.6%.

Please note that the Office for National Statistics has randomly adjusted cells in this table to avoid the release of confidential data.

Ward Level Analysis

The ward information detailed in this article is for wards that were legally existing on 31 December 2002. A number of other research monitors contain ward information based on previous ward boundaries, in particular 1991 and 1998 boundaries. There have been a number of ward name and boundary changes over the years which inhibit comparisons between the full range of available ward data detailed in the various research monitors.

Figure 1 Ethnic Minorities in Lancashire by Ward, 2001

Figure 1 details a number of wards in Lancashire with high proportions of ethnic minorities (ethnic groups B-E). In broad terms local ethnic minority populations are highest in wards in Preston, Blackburn, Accrington, Nelson and Burnley. In comparison, the Fylde coast, Lancaster, Morecambe and the West Lancashire area contain relatively small percentages of ethnic minorities.

Country of Birth

The 2001 Census included a question that asked, "What is your country of birth?" There were tickbox options for England; Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland; Republic of Ireland and Elsewhere, with respondents requested to write in the present name of any country not specified.

The 2001 census results reveal that of the 52 million people in England and Wales, 6.6% were born outside the European Union. For the North West the percentage was 3.5% whilst for the Lancashire NUTS-2 area the proportion was slightly higher at 3.7%, but still well below the national average.

At the district level the percentages ranged from 9.6% in Blackburn with Darwen and 7.2% in Preston to 1.5% in both West Lancashire and Wyre districts.

The Ward-Level Perspective

Figure 2 details the geographic distribution of wards within the Lancashire NUTS-2 area that contain a high proportion of residents born outside the European Union. Bastwell and Shear Brow wards in central Blackburn along with Daneshouse and Stoneyholme in Burnley and Whitefield in Pendle contained the highest concentrations with percentages of above 30%.

Figure 2 Percentage of Population born outside the European Union

This page was compiled by Bryan Moulding.

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