Data available from the 2011
Census on Migration
Emma Wright
Office for National Statistics, Population Statistics Division
Rebecca Gillespie
Home Office Science, Migration and Border Analysis
RSS Social Statistics meeting
25 February 2014
ONS / Home Office census analysis work
Joint ONS / Home Office published Census short stories:
 International Migrants in England and Wales, 2011 (11 December 2012).
 Detailed country of birth and nationality analysis from the 2011 Census of England
and Wales (16 May 2013).
 Economic and social characteristics of the resident population of England and
Wales by nationality and country of birth in 2011 (12 July 2013).
 Immigration patterns of non-UK born populations in England and Wales in 2011
(17 December 2013)
Other ONS migration-related Census short stories:
 Non-UK born short-term residents in England and Wales, 2011 (26 March 2013).
Outline
 Using 2011 Census data to describe and analyse international migration to
England and Wales
 Using ‘country of birth’ and ‘passports held’
 Historic patterns of migration since 1951
 Economic and social characteristics of migrants
 Short term residents
The 2011 Census asked about country of birth…
Those born abroad were asked when they arrived:
If born outside the UK (in ‘Republic of
Ireland’ or ‘Elsewhere’), fill in questions
10 and 11.
Data collected on year of last arrival
(also published as length of residence
and age at arrival)
Identifying recent arrivals.
Differentiating recent arrivals who are
usual residents (i.e. long term migrants)
from short term residents.
…and passports held
The question on passports held is used to determine nationality:
New question in 2011.
Data published so far gives priority to
UK, then Ireland, then other, giving
one passport per person. Used to
determine nationality.
Most useful for analysis by different
entitlement. Can be requested as total
passports.
Nearly half of those born abroad held a UK passport
‘Country of birth’ by ‘passports held’:
Country of Birth
Passport held
UK passport
Other passport
No passport held
Number Per cent
Number Per cent Number Per cent Number
Per
(Thousands)
(Thousands)
(Thousands)
(Thousands) cent
UK born
Non-UK born
Total
48,571
7,505
56,076
86.6
13.4
100
39,033
3,424
42,457
80.4
45.6
75.7
349
3,812
4,161
Total born outside the UK
Nearly half of non-UK born held a UK
passport at the time of the census.
0.7
50.8
7.4
9,189
269
9,458
18.9
3.6
16.9
Total
Per
cent
100
100
100
Nearly all (97%) of those
holding no passport were
born in the UK.
Increasing proportion of residents born abroad
Each successive census revealed an increasing share of residents
born abroad:
Non-UK born populations 1951 to 2011
Link to infographic on ONS website
Year of arrival for non-UK born residents in 2011
Year of arrival for top ten non-UK countries of birth for usual residents
of England and Wales:
Per cent
0
20
40
60
80
India
Poland
Pakistan
Republic of Ireland
Germany
Bangladesh
Nigeria
South Africa
United States
Jamaica
before 1981
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-2011
100
Distribution of non-UK born residents by local authority
Distribution of EU nationals by local authority
Percentage of all usual residents with EU (non-UK) passport by local
authority:
New A8 migrant areas
Link to other maps
Data available on characteristics of migrants
Variety of social and economic data available by passports,
country of birth and year of arrival:
 Age and gender
 Economic activity
 Occupation and industry
 Qualifications
 English (Welsh) language proficiency
 Ethnic group
 Housing tenure
 Health
 Religion
 National identity
 Link to podcast or Link YouTube
Foreign nationals younger than UK nationals
Age and sex distributions of UK and non-UK passport holders in
England and Wales:
Economic activity varies by country of birth
Of the non-UK born aged 16 and over that arrived in the UK between 2001 and
2011, 60 percent were employed and 21 per cent were students in 2011.
Of those arriving 2001-2011:
• 49 per cent of Nigerian-born were employed and 32 per cent were students
• 81 per cent of Polish-born were employed and 7 per cent were students
Polish-born
Per cent
100
23,000
6,000
19,000
Nigerian-born
Per cent
466,000
100
90
90
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
16,000
25,000
38,000
97,000
1991-2000
2001-2011
0
0
Before 1981
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-2011
Before 1981
1981-1990
Occupations vary by nationality
Occupation for top ten non-UK nationalities and UK nationals for
usual residents of England and Wales:
 20% of non-UK nationals were in professional occupations and 19% in elementary
occupations; UK nationals were most concentrated in professional (18%) and associate
professional and technical occupations (13%).
 21% of non-UK nationals and 17% of UK nationals were employed in the banking,
finance and insurance industries; UK nationals were more concentrated in the public
administration, education and health sectors (29%), than non-UK nationals (23%).
English language proficiency lower for more recent arrivals
English language proficiency for non-UK born age 3 and over by year of arrival:
Per cent
100
90
80
Cannot speak English
70
Cannot speak English well
60
50
40
Speaks English well or very
well
30
English is main language
20
10
0
Before 1981
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-2011
 88% (3.6 million) of foreign nationals reported that they could speak English well, very well
or as their main language
 1.7% (70,000) could not speak English at all.
 The proportion who reported they could speak no English at all remained fairly constant
over the decades of arrival at 1-2 per cent.
Housing tenure varies by country of birth
Top ten non-UK countries of birth by housing tenure, 2011
Per cent
Owned
Social rented
United States
South Africa
Nigeria
Jamaica
Bangladesh
Germany
Ireland
Pakistan
Poland
India
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Private rented
• Owner occupied highest among Indian (64%), Pakistani (64%) and Irish-born (63%)
• Social rented accommodation highest among Jamaican (35%) and Bangladeshi-born (33%)
• Private rented accommodation highest among Polish-born (71%)
Self-reported health varies by country of birth
Levels of good health by age group for the top seven non-UK countries
of birth and UK born:
Per cent
100
Nigeria
Bangladesh
90
Germany
80
70
Ireland
60
Pakistan
50
Poland
40
India
30
UK born
20
10
0
0-15
16-34
35-49
50-74
75+
Age
 Bangladeshi-born reported lower levels of good health than other countries of birth and UK
born; Nigerian-born residents reported better health than other groups. Differences increased
with age.
 Foreign nationals reported higher levels of good health overall (90%), compared with UK
nationals (83%), largely due to the younger age profile.
Data available on ‘short term residents’
People born outside the UK intending to stay in the UK between 3 and
12 months
 There were 195,000 non-UK born short-term residents (STRs) in 2011: 35 STRs
per 10,000 usual residents. The ratio for London was 84 STRs per 10,000 usual
residents.
 Nearly 70% (135,000) of STRs were aged 15 to 29 compared to 20 per cent
(11.2 million) of the usual resident population.
 India, China and the United States were the three highest ranking countries of
birth and passports held for STRs.
 50% of the non-UK born short-term resident population lived in London (69,000)
and the South East (28,000). These two regions accounted for 30 per cent of the
usually resident population.
 Over half (55%) of all STRs born abroad aged 16 and over were full-time students.
Short term residents: Country of birth and distribution
Top ten countries of birth for
STRs in England and Wales, 2011
0
India
China
United States
France
Germany
Poland
Spain
Pakistan
Italy
Australia
2
4
6
8
10
Non-UK born short-term residents
per 10,000 usual residents, 2011
Per cent
12
Find our publications online
Publications include links to the relevant data tables released by ONS.
 International migrants
 Non-UK Born Short-Term Residents in England and Wales, 2011
 Detailed country of birth and nationality analysis from the 2011 Census of
England and Wales
 Economic and Social Characteristics of the Resident Population of England
and Wales by Nationality and Country of Birth in 2011
 Immigration Patterns of Non-UK Born Populations in England and Wales in
2011
Future joint work may explore a range of possible themes. Suggestions welcome!
Emma Wright
Office for National Statistics, Population Statistics Division
Emma.Wright@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Rebecca Gillespie
Home Office Science, Migration and Border Analysis
Rebecca.Gillespie@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011
Ireland
492
Ireland
683
Ireland
676
Ireland
580
Ireland
570
Ireland
473
India
694
Poland
152
India
157
India
313
India
383
India
400
India
456
Poland
579
India
111
Germany
121
Jamaica
171
Pakistan
182
Pakistan
225
Pakistan
308
Pakistan
482
Germany
96
Poland
120
Germany
148
Germany
170
Germany
202
Germany
244
Ireland
407
Russia
76
Jamaica
100
Pakistan
136
Jamaica
164
Jamaica
142
Bangladesh
Germany
274
USA
59
USA
94
Poland
104
Caribbean
189
USA
131
Jamaica
146
Bangladesh
Canada
46
Italy
81
Italy
103
USA
106
Caribbean
120
USA
144
Nigeria
191
4.6m
8.9%
7.5m
13.4%
153
212
Total non-UK born population
Per cent of usual resident population
1.9m
4.3%
2.3m
5.0%
3.1m
6.4%
3.2m
6.7%
3.6m
7.3%
Census shows increasing diversity of foreign born
The top ten countries of birth represent a declining proportion of the
total number of residents born abroad:
Link to full infographic on ONS website