The term Other White is a
classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom
A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...
and has been used in documents such as the
2011 UK Census to describe people who self-identify as
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
(chiefly
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
) persons who are not of the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
,
Scottish,
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
or
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
ethnic groupings.
The category does not comprise a single ethnic group but is instead a method of identification for white people who are not represented by other white census categories. This means that the Other White group contains a diverse collection of people with different countries of birth, languages and religions. In 2011, the
Scottish Government introduced the category
White Polish
White Polish is an ethnicity classification used in Scotland at the 2011 United Kingdom Census. In the census, the White Polish population was 571,762, 61,201 of which are in Scotland which equates to 1.16% of the total population in Scotland ...
to differentiate
Polish Britons, and Polish residents, living in Scotland from this broad grouping.
The categorisation was primarily intended to cover people with ancestry from
Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
, with the largest represented ethnic groups being
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
(except in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
since 2011),
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
,
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
,
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
and the
French. It also appears that people with European ancestry (or who otherwise identify as white), born outside of the continent, are significantly represented in the White Other category. In 2001, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
were in the top ten birthplaces, together representing over 15 percent of the category.
Along with
White British
White British is an ethnicity classification used for the native white population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population wa ...
and
White Irish
}
White Irish is an ethnicity classification used in the 2011 United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White Irish population was 1,105,673 or 1.7% of the UK total population.
This total includes the White Irish population estimate for ...
, the category does not appear in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, where only one single "White" classification was presented to respondents.
According to the
2021 United Kingdom census
The decennial 2021 censuses of England and Wales and of Northern Ireland took place on 21 March 2021, and the census of Scotland took place on 20 March 2022. The censuses were administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England an ...
, those identifying as Other White in England & Wales enumerated 3,667,997, or 6.2% of the population
Demographics
Birthplace
In the 2001 UK Census, the majority of people living in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
ticking the 'Other White' ethnic group specified their ethnicity as European.
Four out of five of the 'Other White' category (i.e. not British or Irish) were born overseas. A
third were born in a Western European country other than the UK, and one in seven were born in an Eastern European country.
![Composition of Other Whites in 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Composition_of_Other_Whites_in_2011.svg)
Outside of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, countries derived from
former British colonies such as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
were among the top ten birthplaces (which included the UK itself). This suggested that, in 2001, significant numbers of
American Britons
Americans in the United Kingdom or American Britons, includes emigrants from the United States who gain British citizenship, people from the United States who are or have become residents or citizens of the United Kingdom.
Population
The 2001 ...
,
South African Britons, and
Australian Britons
Australians in the United Kingdom, or Australian Britons, include Australians who have become residents or citizens of the United Kingdom. The largest segment of Australia's diaspora of 1 million resides in the United Kingdom.
The 2001 UK Censu ...
, such as those born abroad to British parents and returned to the UK as minors, identified as White Other. It may also be that those who identify as
white Americans
White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
,
white South Africans
White South Africans generally refers to South Africans
The population of South Africa is about 58.8 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. The South African National Census of 2022 was the most recent censu ...
, or
white Australians have migrated to the country as adults.
According to 2016 ONS Estimates, Other Whites enumerated 4,167,000, or 6.3% of the population in the United Kingdom. However their numbers, in line with a slight population decline in Polish and Romanian citizens in Britain, fell to 3,667,997 in England & Wales at the
2021 United Kingdom census
The decennial 2021 censuses of England and Wales and of Northern Ireland took place on 21 March 2021, and the census of Scotland took place on 20 March 2022. The censuses were administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England an ...
.
Economic status
The Other White group is largely of working age, with only one in ten aged over 65 and one in seven under 16 at the time of the 2001 census. This does vary according to the stated country of birth, with people born in the UK being disproportionately young. Polish and Italian respondents had a larger proportion of over 65s,
which reflects the migration of
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
and Italians to Britain after the Second World War. A wide number of religions are represented in the Other White group.
Religion
In the census, the largest faith group, 63 per cent, identified themselves as Christian, with 16 per cent defining themselves as without religion, nine per cent as Muslims, and two per cent as Jewish.
See also
*
Albanians in the United Kingdom
Albanians in the United Kingdom include immigrants from Albania and ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. According to estimates from the Office for National Statistics, there are 21,000 Albanian nationals living in the United Kingdom as of 2021.
Histo ...
*
Americans in the United Kingdom
Americans in the United Kingdom or American Britons, includes emigrants from the United States who gain British citizenship, people from the United States who are or have become residents or citizens of the United Kingdom.
Population
The 2001 ...
*
Australians in the United Kingdom
Australians in the United Kingdom, or Australian Britons, include Australians who have become residents or citizens of the United Kingdom. The largest segment of Australia's diaspora of 1 million resides in the United Kingdom.
The 2001 UK Cens ...
*
Austrians in the United Kingdom
*
Baltic people in the United Kingdom
Baltic people in the United Kingdom are those born or raised in the UK, or residents, who are of ethnically Baltic, meaning Latvian or Lithuanian, origin.
History, population and settlement
In the early 20th century, many Latvian and Lithuanian ...
*
Bulgarians in the United Kingdom
Bulgarians in the United Kingdom include citizens of the United Kingdom who trace their Bulgarian ancestry. The number of Bulgarian-born people resident in the UK has risen from 5,351 at the time of the 2001 Census to an estimated 103,000 in 201 ...
*
Canadians in the United Kingdom
Canadians in the United Kingdom, or Canadian Britons, are people from Canada living in the United Kingdom and their descendants. In 2001 some 72,518 people born in Canada were living in the UK according to the UK census. Of the ten census tract ...
*
Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom
A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...
*
Czechs in the United Kingdom
Czechs in the United Kingdom refers to the phenomenon of Czech people migrating to the United Kingdom from the Czech Republic or from the political entities that preceded it, such as Czechoslovakia. There are some people in the UK who were eithe ...
*
Dutch people in the United Kingdom
The Dutch diaspora consists of Dutch people and their descendants living outside the Netherlands.
Emigration from the Netherlands has been occurring for since at least the 17th century, and may be traced back to the international presence of the ...
*
Germans in the United Kingdom
Germans in the United Kingdom form one of the largest minority groups in the country. Today, there are many Germans living in the United Kingdom, and many Britons or ''German British'' () have German ancestry, including the British royal family. ...
*
Greeks in the United Kingdom
Greeks in the United Kingdom are British residents and citizens of full or partial Greek heritage, or Greeks who emigrated to and reside in the United Kingdom.
History
Early Greek contact Mycenaean Greeks
The Mycenaean civilization was a ...
*
Hungarians in the United Kingdom
Hungarians in the United Kingdom include Hungarian-born immigrants to the UK and their descendants, of whom there are a substantial number. Since Hungary joined the European Union in 2004, the UK's Hungarian population has grown significantly. Alt ...
*
Italians in the United Kingdom
*
History of the Jews in the United Kingdom
For the history of the Jews in the United Kingdom, including the time before the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, see:
* History of the Jews in England
* History of the Jews in Scotland
* History of the Jews in Northern Irelan ...
*
Kosovans in the United Kingdom
*
New Zealanders in the United Kingdom
New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom who originate from New Zealand.
Population
According to the 2001 UK Census, 58,286 New Zealand-born people were residing in the United Kingdom. The 2011 cen ...
*
Poles in the United Kingdom
*
Portuguese in the United Kingdom
Portuguese in the United Kingdom are citizens or residents of the UK who are connected to the country of Portugal by birth, descent or citizenship.
Background
History and settlement
The New Christians, who had converted from Judaism to Roman C ...
*
Romanians in the United Kingdom
Romanians in the United Kingdom refers to the phenomenon of Romanian people moving to the United Kingdom as citizens or non-citizen immigrants, along with British citizens of Romanian ancestry. The number of Romanian-born people resident in the ...
*
Russians in the United Kingdom
Russians in the United Kingdom are Russians, or the persons born in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation, who are or were citizens of or residents of the United Kingdom.
Settlement and population numbers
The 2001 UK cens ...
*
Scandinavian migration to Britain
Scandinavian migration to Britain is a phenomenon that has occurred at different periods over the past 1,200 years. Over the last couple of centuries, there has been regular migration from Scandinavia to Great Britain, from families looking to set ...
*
Serbs in the United Kingdom
*
Slovenes in the United Kingdom
*
South Africans in the United Kingdom
South Africans in the United Kingdom include citizens and residents of the United Kingdom with origins in South Africa.
Demographics
The 2001 UK census recorded 140,201 South African-born people living in the UK. According to the 2011 UK census ...
*
Spaniards in the United Kingdom
Spaniards in the United Kingdom are people of Spanish descent resident in Britain. They may be British citizens or non-citizen immigrants.
Historical migration of royalty
Spanish and English royalty intermarried on numerous occasions, a notable ...
*
Swedes in the United Kingdom
Swedes in the United Kingdom or British Swedes are immigrants from Sweden living in the United Kingdom as well as their British-born descendants. Although only around 38,000 Swedish-born people live in the UK, millions of Britons have some degre ...
*
Turkish people in the United Kingdom
References
{{UK census ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
White culture in the United Kingdom