Measuring residential segregation

Ludi Simpson
Date: 16th November 2005

The UK conference 'Census: present and future' has been organised by the ESRC/JISC Census Programme to help inform the National Data Strategy, a collaboration across government departments and the Research Councils designed to reflect data needs for the future research agenda.

This presentation to the conference reviews measures of residential segregation. A brief summary released to the press appears below.

Additional information:

• Summary text of presentation, with national tables (Word 118Kb) (pdf 108Kb)
• Regional and city profiles

New study shows racial mixing, not segregation, in the UK

Embargo : 02.00am Tuesday 15 November 2005

New research carried out at The University of Manchester shows that the UKs White, Black and Asian populations are mixing more than ever.

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The findings strongly contradict the concern about segregation expressed in the summer by Commission for Racial Equality Director Trevor Phillips.

The University of Manchester research team, led by social scientist Dr Ludi Simpson, will present its review of evidence on segregation to the UK Economic and Social Research Council tomorrow (November 16, 2005).

Dr Simpson said: Our research suggests there is a lot of good news; in fact, there is more mixing. On balance there is neither retreat nor White flight. The larger populations of Black and Asian communities that have been highlighted are there simply due to natural growth; i.e. people having children. There are no Black or Asian ghettos anywhere in the UK where families of one colour are trapped.

In all parts of Britain , the children of immigrants are moving away from so-called ghettos. After a couple of generations the mixing will be far more noticeable and the population growth of these groups will have slowed and probably stopped.

The research is based on detailed results from the Census