Ethnic minorities in the UK compared

UK Statistics

GCSE performance















Highest qualification

In 2001/02, only people from the Black Caribbean, Other Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups were less likely than White British people to have degrees (or equivalent).

Among men, Black Caribbeans were the least likely to have degrees (8 per cent). Among women, Pakistanis/Bangladeshis were the least likely group to have degrees (7 per cent).

The White Irish, Chinese, and Indian groups were among those most likely to have degrees, but they also had fairly high proportions with no qualifications (19 per cent of White Irish, 18 per cent of Indians, and 20 per cent of Chinese). This compared with 16 per cent of the White British group having no qualifications.

Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were the most likely to be unqualified. Nearly half (48 per cent) of Bangladeshi women and 40 per cent of Bangladeshi men had no qualifications. Among Pakistanis, 40 per cent of women and 28 per cent of men had no qualifications.