Open consultation

Annex C: Government Statistical Service harmonised categories for ethnicity

Published 18 March 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/equality-race-and-disability-bill-mandatory-ethnicity-and-disability-pay-gap-reporting/annex-c-government-statistical-service-harmonised-categories-for-ethnicity

England and Wales

For England and Wales, the question and categories are:

What is your ethnic group?

(Choose one option that best describes your ethnic group or background)

White

  • English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British
  • Irish
  • Gypsy or Irish Traveller
  • Roma
  • Any other White background

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

  • White and Black Caribbean
  • White and Black African
  • White and Asian
  • Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background

Asian or Asian British

  • Indian
  • Pakistani
  • Bangladeshi
  • Chinese
  • Any other Asian background

Black, Black British, Caribbean or African

  • Caribbean
  • African
  • Any other Black, Black British, or Caribbean background

Other ethnic group

  • Arab
  • Any other ethnic group

Prefer not to say (for employees who do not wish to disclose their ethnicity)

Northern Ireland

The ethnicity question in the 2021 Census in Northern Ireland asked people to choose from the following ethnic groups:

  • Black African
  • Black Other
  • Chinese
  • Filipino
  • Indian
  • Irish Traveller
  • Mixed ethnic group
  • Roma
  • White
  • Any other ethnic group

Scotland

The following groups were used in Scotland in the 2022 Census:

Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian

  • Pakistani, Scottish Pakistani or British Pakistani
  • Indian, Scottish Indian or British Indian
  • Bangladeshi, Scottish Bangladeshi or British Bangladeshi
  • Chinese, Scottish Chinese or British Chinese
  • Other

African, Scottish African or British African

  • Respondents write in their ethnic group

Caribbean or Black

  • Respondents write in their ethnic group

Mixed or Multiple ethnic group

  • Respondents write in their ethnic group

White

  • Scottish
  • Other British
  • Irish
  • Polish
  • Gypsy or Traveller
  • Roma
  • Showman or Showwoman
  • Other

Other ethnic group

  • Arab, Scottish Arab or British Arab
  • Other (for example, Sikh, Jewish)
Back to top