Census shows drop in number of people in Sheffield identifying as English

Jon Wroth-Smith, census deputy director, said the recent data highlights that we are living in an “increasingly multi-cultural society” across England and Wales, with fewer people saying they belong to a particular nation.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics show 14 per cent of people in Sheffield identified as English when the census took place last year, down significantly from 63 per cent in 2011. And 57 per cent selected British in the recent survey while 18 per cent chose the identity a decade ago.

Nationally, the proportion of people identifying as English saw the sharpest fall, from 58 per cent selecting the national identity 10 years ago to just 15 per cent last year.

Nationally, 55 per cent said they identified as British – leaping from 19 per cent in the previous census.

The census also revealed shifts in ethnicities across England and Wales with the proportion of people identifying as white falling to 82 per cent last year from 86 per cent in 2011.

And 74 per cent of the total population in identified their ethnic group as white English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British in the recent survey – down from 81 per cent a decade prior.

About 79 per cent of people identified as white in Sheffield in 2021, down from 84 per cent in the previous census.

Additionally, 75 per cent identified as white English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British – falling from 81 per cent in the previous census.

Mr Wroth-Smith said: “The percentage of people identifying their ethnic group as 'White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British', continues to decrease. Whilst this remains the most common response to the ethnic group question, the number of people identifying with another ethnic group continues to increase.”

In Sheffield 53,560 residents (10 per cent) identified as Asian or Asian British and 25,512 (five per cent) selected black or black British as their ethnicity. A further 19,704 (four per cent) said they were mixed ethnicity.