Immigration after World War II

Most British people attribute their origins to the early invaders, calling themselves English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, or Ulsterites. The Ulsterites are an ethnically controversial group—some claim they are Scottish and others identify themselves as Protestant Irish. The remaining part of the population are minorities who arrived, for the most part, in the decades following the end of World War II in 1945.

These minorities—Chinese, Asian Indians, Pakistanis, Africans, and Caribbean people of African ancestry—came to Britain in substantial numbers after 1945. Immigration from the South Asian subcontinent (India and Pakistan) stabilized in the 1990s, but immigration from African countries continued to rise. By the late 1990s more than half of the people in these categories had been born in the United Kingdom. These newer ethnic groups tend to live in the more urban and industrial areas of England, especially in London, Birmingham, and Leeds. It is estimated that 60 percent of black Britons live in the London area, along with 41 percent of the Asian Indian population.

Although population censuses have been taken in the United Kingdom every decade since 1801, the 1991 census was the first to include a question on ethnic origin. More than 94 per cent of the population is described as white. According to the most recent estimates, based on 1994 statistics, Asian Indians make up 1.5 percent of the British population; Pakistanis, 0.9 per cent; Bangladeshis, 0.3 per cent; Chinese, 0.3 per cent; Caribbeans, 0.08 per cent; and Africans, 0.03 per cent.

Irish immigration to Britain is unique. The Irish have migrated to Great Britain for centuries and continue to do so. If their descendants are included along with the 2.4 percent counted as ethnic Irish living in Great Britain today, they form a large component of the British population. Originally the Irish migrated to Britain to perform hard labor, such as building the railroads, but in recent years college graduates with high-tech skills are making up a higher percentage of Irish immigrants. Some live in largely Irish communities and others are quickly and completely absorbed into mainstream society. All children born to Irish parents in Britain are called British. Any citizen of Ireland who settles in Britain automatically gets the British citizenship.

The United Kingdom is generally a prosperous, well-educated, and tolerant society, and ethnic differences have sparked relatively little violence and hostility. Even so, black and Asian populations tend to cluster in certain urban neighborhoods, where economic and social disadvantages have become pronounced. There was significant rioting in the 1980s, which was attributed to several causes. One factor was tension between the predominantly white police force and the poorest ethnic communities. Another was competition between unskilled whites and unskilled workers from ethnic minorities. Still another factor was the resentment by white middle-class businesspeople, particularly smaller shopkeepers, of the keen competition presented by Asians, who tend to work long hours and have support from family members and members of their own ethnic community in running their businesses.

Integration of these diverse ethnic groups into the workforce, as well as socialization into the broader society, including intermarriage, has been remarkably smooth. Percentages employment for various ethnic minorities and whites are generally similar. Many individuals from ethnic minorities hold managerial and professional positions, and several sit in Parliament. Local and national government programs exist to seek fairness and justice for ethnic minorities. Educational programs and the law bolster equal opportunity. The Race Relations Act of 1976 makes it illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, nationality, or origin, and it is a criminal offense to incite racial hatred.

Demographic Trends

United Kingdom Vital Statistics Life Expectancy 78 years (2002) Birth Rate per 1,000 people 11.3 (2002)

Death Rate per 1,000 people 10.3 (2002)

Source: U.S. Census International Programs Center

From the 18th century until well into the 19th century, Britain's population soared as the death rate dropped and the birth rate remained high. During this period the total population increased from approximately 6 million in the 1760s to 26 million in the 1870s. Toward the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century the birth rate stabilized and the death rate remained low. The population took on the characteristics of a modern, developed, and prosperous state. Family size decreased and the median age of the population rose. Compared to the rest of the world, the UK has a smaller percentage of younger people and a higher percentage of older people, with 20.5 percent over the age of 60; those under the age of 15 years make up only 19.5 percent of the population. Life expectancy in 2002 was 75 years for men and 80.8 years for women.

This pattern is expected to continue. Modern European nations tend to have populations that either renew themselves or grow slowly, rather than populations that grow dramatically as they do in present-day Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The British government has more strictly controlled immigration in recent decades, and emigration has continued steadily. Nevertheless, the population of the UK is expected to continue growing slowly.

Population Statistics

United Kingdom Principal Cities

City Population (1996 Estimate)

London 7,074,265

Birmingham 1,020,589

Leeds 726,939

Glasgow 616,430

Sheffield 530,375

Source: United Nations Demographic Yearbook

The United Kingdom has a population of 59,778,002 (2002 estimate), with an average population density of 245 persons per sq km (634 per sq mi). The population density of the United Kingdom is one of the highest in the world, exceeding most Asian and European nations. England is the most populated part of the United Kingdom, with 49,752,900 people (1999), which means more than four-fifths of the United Kingdom's population resides in England. It is also the most densely populated portion of the United Kingdom, with a population density of 380 persons per sq km (983 per sq mi). Scotland possesses 5,119,200 people, and a population density of 65 persons per sq km (168 per sq mi). Wales has 2,937,000 people, with a population density of 141 persons per sq km (366 per sq mi). Northern Ireland's population is 1,691,800, and it has 119 persons per sq km (309 per sq mi).

Britain's population is overwhelmingly urban, with 89.3 percent living in urban areas and 10.7 percent living in rural areas. The Industrial Revolution built up major urban areas, and most of Britain's people live in and around them to this day. England's population is densest in the London area, around Birmingham and Coventry in the Midlands, and in northern England near the old industrial centers of Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle upon Tyne. In the 1980s and 1990s southern England, particularly the south-east, became a center of population growth, due in large part to the growth of the high-tech and service sectors of the economy.

In Wales two-thirds of the people live in the industrial southern valleys. In Scotland three-quarters of the people live in the central lowlands, around Glasgow to the west and Edinburgh to the east. About half of the people living in Northern Ireland reside in the eastern portion, in Belfast and along the coast.

The population of Greater London is about 7 million (1995 estimate), making it by far the most populous city in the United Kingdom. It is the seat of government, center of business, and the heart of arts and culture. Birmingham is the second largest city, with 1,013,200 people. Other large cities in the United Kingdom include Leeds with 726,800, Glasgow with 668,100, and Sheffield with 530,600. Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has a population of about 451,700; Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has 324,400 people; and Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, has a population of 284,400.

Language

English is the official language of the United Kingdom and is the first language of the vast majority of its citizens. The use of language is extremely important to Britain's class structure. Some educated English people, regardless of their class origin, strive to free themselves of regional or local accents in order to sound like educated English-speaking people. Some people in England regard regional accents and slang as substandard. On the other hand, many local people, such as Cockneys in East London and people in northern England, enjoy their particular way of speaking, regarding it as warmer and friendlier than standard English.

Scottish people appreciate the Scottish accent so much they insist the BBC carry programs with Scottish-accented speakers. The Celtic language, an ancient tongue, continues to be spoken in Scotland by some people, usually those in the more remote fringes of the country, especially in the Hebrides Islands. Approximately 80,000 Scots speak Scottish Gaelic, a type of Celtic language. English is the predominant language in Northern Ireland, although at least some of the Roman Catholic minority speak Irish, another Gaelic dialect, as a second language.

The ancient Celtic language of Wales is strongly tied to the cultural nationalism of the region. At the time of the 1991 census, about 20 percent of the Welsh population could speak Welsh. Welsh is spoken in northern and western Wales much more than in southern Wales, where many English people have relocated. Many schools in Wales offer bilingual education, and there is a Welsh-language television channel. In 1993, after long and considerable agitation by Welsh nationalists, the government made Welsh a joint official language with English in Wales for use in the courts, the civil service, and other aspects of the public sector.The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts which are: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain or Britain (after its major isle), England (after its major historic part) or the British Isles.

The UK is an island state: it is composed of some 5,500 islands, large and small. The two main islands are Great Britain (in which are England, Wales and Scotland) to the east and Ireland (in which are Northern Ireland and the in­dependent Irish Republic) to the west. They are separated by the Irish Sea.