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TheUnited Kingdom is anethnicallydiverse society. The largest ethnic group in the United Kingdom isWhite British, followed byAsian British. Ethnicity in the United Kingdom is formally recorded at the national level through a census. The2021 United Kingdom census recorded a reduced share of White British people in the United Kingdom from the previous2011 United Kingdom census. Factors that are contributing to the growth of minority populations are varied in nature, including differing birth rates andImmigration.

According to theOffice for National Statistics (ONS) based on population census figures from 2021, people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up 17% of the United Kingdom (19% for England, 6.2% for Wales, 7% for Scotland and 4.4% for Northern Ireland).^[1]

A variety of ethnic groups have settled on the British Isles, dating back from the last ice age up until the 11th century. These populations included theCeltic Britons (including thePicts), Romans,Anglo-Saxons,GaelicScots,Norse,Danes and theNormans.^[2] Recent genetic studies have suggested that the prehistoricBell Beaker influx and theAnglo-Saxon migrations had particularly significant effects on the genetic makeup of modern Britons.^[3][4][5][6]

William the Conqueror introduced the firstJewish settlers in England in 1070,^[7] and later on, in the 16th century, the firstRomani were introduced in Britain. The UK has a history of small-scale non-European immigration, withLiverpool having the oldestBlack British community dating back to at least the 1730s, during the period of theAfrican slave trade.^[8] The oldestChinese community in Europe, dates back to the arrival of Chinese seamen in the 19th century.^[9] In the 19th century, there was an increase ofJewish andIrish people living in Great Britain, with many settling inGlasgow,Liverpool,Manchester,Birmingham and in theEast End of London, where these ethnic dialects contributed to the formation of theCockney dialect.

Since 1948 (and particularly from the mid-1950s), immigration from theWest Indies and theIndian Subcontinent occurred in substantial numbers due to labour shortages in Britain after World War II.^[10] Immigration started to increase in the 1950s and 1960s and the large influx of different cultures created different ethnic communities. However, instances of documented and perceived racism, and heavy-handed policing by the native English population, has led to a number of riots, most notably in1958,1981,1985 and2011. When Britain joined theEEC in 1973, the level of migration from Western European nations increased and migration from newer EU member states inCentral, and Eastern Europe, have resulted in a largeEastern European population over the past two decades. However, after the Brexit Referendum in 2016, numbers began to decline once again.^[11]

SociologistSteven Vertovec presents the idea of superdiversity in Britain; this is a notion that states that the increasing population of ethnic groups and communities are creating new, and smaller, ethnic minorities in Britain. The dynamics of superdiversity influence the social and economic patterns of the United Kingdom and have created complex social frameworks.^[12]

The definition of ethnicity has been defined as "the social group a person belongs to, and either identifies with or is identified with by others, as a result of a mix of cultural and other factors including language, diet, religion, ancestry and physical features traditionally associated with race".^[14]

The1991 UK census was the first to include a question on ethnicity,^[15][16] before which the census asked country of birth.^[17] The2001 UK Census classified ethnicity into several groups: White, Black, Asian, Mixed, Chinese and Other.^[18][19] These categories formed the basis for all National Ethnicity statistics until the 2011 Census results were issued.^[19] A number of academics have pointed out that since 1991, the ethnicity classification employed in the census, alongside other official statistics in the UK have high levels of confusion regarding the concepts of ethnicity andrace.^[20][21] David I. Kertzer and Dominique Arel argue that this is the case in many censuses, and the definition of ethnicity should first be illuminated.^[21] User consultation undertaken for the purpose of planning the2011 census revealed that some participants thought the "use of colour (White and Black) to define ethnicity is confusing or unacceptable".^[22]

The population of the United Kingdom and its constituent countries are ethnically diverse today. From the beginning of modern migration to the country, the White population has been in proportional decline; however, the question of ethnicity was only first asked in the1991 census. The four pie charts below show the ethnic make up of the United Kingdom as a whole and each of its constituent countries over time.

• Ethnicities of United Kingdom and in its constituent countries
• 
  United Kingdom
• 
  England
• 
  Wales
• 
  Scotland
• 
  Northern Ireland

The British government recognises theScottish,Welsh,Irish andCornish peoples as national minorities under the Council of Europe'sFramework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which the UK signed in 1995 and ratified in 1998.^[23]

It is estimated that in 1950 there were no more than 20,000 non-white residents in the United Kingdom, almost all having been born outside the UK and now mainly residing in England.^[24]

However, the considerable migration after World War II increased the ethnic and racial diversity of UK, especially in London. Therace relations policies that have been developed broadly reflect the principles ofmulticulturalism, although there is no official national commitment tomulticulturalism.^[25][26][27]

The national identity of 'being British' is to respect the laws and parliamentary structures, as well as all maintaining the right to equality; however, this does not cover the concept of multiculturalism. This concept of 'being British' faces criticism on the grounds that it has failed to sufficiently promotesocial integration,.^[28][29][30] Some commentators have questioned the dichotomy between diversity and integration.^[29] and since 2001 it has been argued that the UK government has moved away from policy characterised by multiculturalism, and towards the assimilation of minority communities.^[31]

In 2016, the British government held aEuropean Union membership referendum. The result of the referendum showed that 51.9% of British voters wanted to leave the EU.^[32] On 31 January 2020, the deal was reached for theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to leave the EU on 1 January 2021, also known asBrexit, with terms being agreed to on 24 December 2020.^[3] Some have said that Brexit limits multiculturalism and encourages exclusivenationalism andnativism; however, some feel that Brexit supports traditional British identity.^[6]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2025)

A poll conducted byMORI for theBBC in 2005 found that 62 per cent of respondents agreed that multiculturalism made the UK a better place to live, compared to 32 percent who saw it as a threat.^[33] In contrast, Ipsos MORI data from 2008 showed that only 30 per cent saw multiculturalism as making the UK a better place to live, with 38 per cent seeing it as a threat. 41 per cent of respondents to the 2008 poll favoured the development of a shared identity over the celebration of diverse values and cultures, with 27 per cent favouring the latter and 30 per cent undecided.^[34]

A study conducted for theCommission for Racial Equality (CRE) in 2005, found that inEngland, the majority of ethnic minority participants called themselves British, whereas white English participants saidEnglish first andBritish second. InWales andScotland the majority of white and ethnic minority participants identified with Welsh or Scottish first and British second.^[35] Research suggests that on average ethnic minorities are twice as likely to say their ethnicity is important to them than white British participants, although the extent of this difference also interacted with political beliefs.^[36]

Other research conducted for the CRE found that white participants felt that there was a threat toBritishness from large-scale immigration, claiming that they perceived ethnic minorities made a rise inmoral pluralism andpolitical correctness. Much of this frustration was directed atMuslims rather than minorities in general. Muslim participants in the study reported feeling victimised and stated that they felt the pressure of choosing between Muslim and British identities, whereas they saw it possible to be both.^[37]

Ethnic minorities have been under-represented in comparison with their white counterparts in the United Kingdom's political system, particularly in theBritish Parliament.^[38] In 1981, theHome Affairs Select Committee report stated that an "increase in ethnic minority involvement in politics will create ... special representation for ethnic minorities".^[39] However, in 2017Theresa May stated that ethnic minorities were still under-represented.^[40] In 2019, 65Members of Parliament (MPs) or 10% of all MPs were from an ethnic minority background.^[41]

Representation of ethnic minorities in Parliament began in 1987, seeing four ethnic minorities being elected into parliament. Among them wasDiane Abbott, Britain's first black female Member of Parliament, who began as a member of the shadow cabinet and was a prominent figure within the Labour Party.^[42]

Prior to the2010 elections, the Conservatives had 2 MPs who were minorities; this increased to 11 after the 2010 General Election.^[43] After the2017 General Elections, 52 minority MPs were elected, shared between Labour (32) and the Conservative (19) and one from theLiberal Democrats.^[44] The2019 general elections showed an increase in these numbers with Labour having 41, the Conservatives having 22 and the Liberal Democrats having 2 ethnic-minority MPs.^[41]

In 2018, 3.7% of all local government officials had an ethnic minority background.^[45]London councils had the highest percentage for representation in their local councils in late 2017, 10.5%; this increased from 5.6% previously in the year.^[45] Outside London, councils have an average of 3% minority representation.^[45] In Scotland, 3.2% of local government officials are ethnic minorities, almost proportionately representing the 3.32% ethnic minority.^[46]

Since the 1980s, the number of minority councillors has been increasing over time, however, the main parties of minorities involved were the Labour party, with 94.4% of minority councillors affiliated with the Labour Party.^[39]

There were 35 minority councillors in London local councils in 1978 and this had increased to 193 by 1990.^[39] This was 10% of the 1,915 councillors representing 20% of London's population.^[39] According to a Census of Local Authority Councillors in 2013, there was 3.7% representation for minorities across all councils, compared to a representation of 13% nationally.^[47] Labour continues to have the largest proportion of ethnic minority councillors with 9.2%, followed by the Conservatives with 1.5%.^[47]

• Ethnic groups in London
• British people
• Demographics of the United Kingdom
• Foreign-born population of the United Kingdom
• Genetic history of the British Isles
• Historical immigration to Great Britain
• Modern immigration to the United Kingdom
• Languages of the United Kingdom
• List of electoral firsts in the United Kingdom
• Romanichal

• Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
• 2001 United Kingdom census

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