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Population Estimates by Ethnic Group
2006

September 2008

Introduction

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) provide annual population estimates by place of residence for local authority districts by ethnic group and by age and gender. These estimates are consistent with the annual mid-year total population estimates and cover the period 2001-2006. It should be noted that this ethnic group data series are still under development and are to be regarded as "experimental statistics". The results for Lancashire and for the constituent local authorities can be found in the Data Download Centre whilst the full data set for all parts of England are available from the (External) National Statistics website . Statistical summaries of the population estimates by ethnic group for 2005 can also be found in our Area Profiles .

The data are split by five broad groupings of White, Mixed, Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British and Chinese or Other Ethnic group. These are further sub-divided into 16 sub-categories, and the information is also split by gender and by whether people are above, below or of working age. This article presents only the briefest of summaries designed to highlight the existence of the detailed data set.

Lancashire Results

Across the whole of Lancashire there is a slightly higher percentage of people from a white ethnic background (91.9%) than is the average for England (88.7%) and the great bulk of these are "White British" (Table 1). Aside from these, the most significant ethnic group is "Asian or Asian British" who comprise 6% of the resident population, a proportion marginally above the national average. All other broad ethnic groups have a lesser representation in Lancashire that nationally. This is particularly marked in the case of "Black or Black British" who comprise just 0.5% of Lancashire's population against a share of 2.8% in England.

At the sub-Lancashire level eight of the Lancashire local authorities record relatively small proportions of non-white populations that represent less than 5% of their total resident population (Figures1/2). In the case of West Lancashire the non-white population is less than 3%. It is only in Preston and four of the East Lancashire districts where there is a notable combined percentage of residents in the non-white groups. Of these, only Blackburn (with 22.8% non-white), Pendle (16.0%) and Preston (15.2%) have shares of non-white populations greater than the England average. In all these cases the largest non-white group is of Asian or Asian British ethnicity as it also is in Burnley and Hyndburn, though these latter two districts otherwise have non-white ethnicity close to the national average.

Bar chart showing the percentages of people in five broad ethnic groups in England, Lancashire and each of Lancashire's local authorities in 2006 - see text for details Source ONS - Estimated Population by Ethnic Group, 2006
Figure 2 Population by Broad Ethnic Group, 2006

Map showing the numbers and percentages of people in five broad ethnic groups in each of Lancashire's local authorities in 2006 - see text for details Source ONS- Estimated Population by Ethnic Group, 2006

Changes in the Population by Ethnic Group in Lancashire, 2001-2006

Table 2 shows estimates of the total population for each of the ethnic groups in Lancashire for mid-2001 and 2006 together with the numerical and percentage rates of change for each group over this period. It should be noted that the calculated changes are based on population estimates rounded to the nearest 100 and in some instances also on relatively small base numbers. Therefore the calculated numerical and percentage rates of change over the period should be taken as being indicative of the pattern of change rather than precise figures.

Between 2001 and 2006 the population of the Lancashire sub-region is estimated to have grown by some 32,000 or 2.3%, a rate of increase on a par with that of England. There was only a relatively small change of well under 1% in the growth of the White British group and a decrease of the White Irish group over the period (due both to net international emigration and more deaths than births) but this relatively stable state was more than offset by the increase in other white and in other ethnic groups. Numerically there was a considerable increase in Other White, with Asian Pakistani, Asian Indian, Chinese and Black African groups also making a significant contribution to growth. In percentage terms the greatest increases derived from those groups with some of the smallest starting populations, most notably Black or Black British, Chinese or Other Ethnic Group and Mixed. On a national basis, nearly three-quarters of the total growth of the non-"White British" groups was attributable to net inward migration.

The small size of some ethnic groups within many Lancashire local authority areas allied with the rounded nature of the published data make it unrealistic to calculate accurate rates of change at this geographical level. However, it is evident that from a national perspective the pattern of faster growth of non-"White British" populations in areas with smaller starting populations is a widespread pattern. Conversely, the lowest growth rates nationally are associated with areas like Inner London which already have high proportions of non-"White British" populations.

This page was compiled by Peter Kivell .

All enquiries from the media should be sent to Corporate.Communications@lancashire.gov.uk .

Any other questions about the content of this page may be sent to EconInfo@lancashire.gov.uk .

For all enquiries about the county council's services , contact the Customer Service Centre on 0845 0530000 (01772 530000) or at Enquiries@css.lancscc.gov.uk .

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