Life in the UK: A Journey to Citizenship

Chapter 3. UK Today: a profile

 

Population

 

In 2005 the population of the United Kingdom was under under 60 million people.

 

UK Population 2005
England	84% of the population	50.1 million
Scotland	8% of the population	5.1 million
Wales	5% of the population	2.9 million
Northern Ireland	3% of the population	1.7 million
Total UK	59.8 million

 

The population has grown by 7.7% since 1971, and growth has been faster in  more recent years. Although the general population in the UK has increased in the last 20 years, in some areas such as the North-East and North-West of England there has been a decline.

 

Both the birth rate and the death rate are falling and as a result the UK now has an ageing population. For instance, there are more people over 60 than children under 16. There is also a record number of people aged 85 and over.

 

The census

 

A census is a count of the whole population. It also collects statistics on topics such as age, place of birth, occupation, ethnicity, housing, health, and marital status.

 

A census has been taken every ten years since 1801, except during the second World War. The next census will take place in 2011.

 

During a census, a form is delivered to every household in the country. This form asks for detailed information about each member of the household and must be completed by law. The information remains confidential and anonymous; it can only be released to the public after 100 years, when many people researching their family history find it very useful. General census information is used to identify population trends and to help planning.

 

Ethnic diversity

 

The UK population is ethnically diverse and is changing rapidly, especially in large cities such as London, so it is not always easy to get an exact picture of the ethnic origin of all the population from census statistics. Each of the four countries of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) has different customs, attitudes and histories.

 

People of Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Black Caribbean, Black African, Bangladeshi and mixed ethnic descent make up 8.3% of the UK population. Today about half of the members of these communities were born in the United Kingdom.

 

There are also considerable numbers of people resident in the UK who are of Irish, Italian, Greek and Turkish Cypriot, Polish, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American descent. Large numbers have also arrived since 2004 from the new East European members states of the European Union. These groups are not identified separately in the census statistics in the following table.

 

UK Population 2001
	Million	UK Population %
White (including people of European, Australian, American descent)	54.2	92
Mixed	0.7	1.2
Asian or Asian British
Indian	1.1	1.8
Pakistani	0.7	1.3
Bangladeshi	0.3	0.5
Other Asian	0.2	0.4
Black or Black British
Black Caribbean	0.6	1.0
Black African	0.5	0.8
Black other	0.1	0.2
Chinese	0.2	0.4
Other	0.2	0.4

 

Where do the largest ethnic minority groups live?

 

The figures from the 2001 census show that most members of the large ethnic minority groups in the UK live in England, where they make up 9% of the total population. 45% of all ethnic minority people live in the London area, where they form nearly one-third of the population (29%). Other areas of England with large ethnic minority populations are the West Midlands, the South East, the North West, and Yorkshire and Humberside.

 

Proportion of ethnic minority groups in the countries of the UK

 

England	9%	Wales	2%
Scotland	2%	N. Ireland	Less than 1%

 

 

The nations and regions of the UK

 

The UK is a medium-sized country. The longest distance on the mainland, from John O´Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land´s End in the south-west corner of England, is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres). Most of the population live in towns and cities.

 

There are many variations in culture and language in the different parts of the United Kingdom. This is seen in differences in architecture, in some local customs, in types of food, and especially in language. The English language has many accents and dialects. These are a clear indication of regional differences in the UK. Well-known dialects in England are Geordie (Tyneside), Scouse (Liverpool) and Cockney (London). Many other languages in addition to English are spoken in the UK, especially in multicultural cities.

 

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, people speak different varieties and dialects of English. In Wales, too, an increasing number of people speak Welsh, which is taught in schools and universities. In Scotland Gaelic is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands and in Northern Ireland a few people speak Irish Gaelic. Some of the dialects of English spoken in Scotland show the influence of the old Scottish language, Scots. One of the dialects spoken in Northern Ireland is called Ulster Scots.

 

 

Check that you understand

 

The size of the current UK population

The population of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

What the census is and when the next one will be

What the largest ethnic minorities in the UK are

Where most ethnic minority people live

What languages other than English are spoken in Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland

Some of the ways you can identify regional differences in the UK

 

Religion

 

Although the UK historically is a Christian society, everyone has the legal right to practise the religion of their choice. In the 2001 census, just over 75% said they had a religion: 7 of of 10 of these were Christians. There were also a considerable number of people who followed other religions. Although many people in the UK said they held religious beliefs, currently only around 10% of the population attend religious services. More people attend services in Scotland and Northern Ireland than in England and Wales. In London the number of people who attend religious services in increasing.

 

Religions in the UK	%
Christian (10% of whom are Roman Catholic)	71.6
Muslim	2.7
Hindu	1.0
Sikh	0.6
Jewish	0.5
Buddhist	0.3
Other	0.3
Total all	77
No religion	15.5
Not stated	7.3

 

 

 

The Christian Churches

 

In England there is a constitutional link between church and state. The official church of the state is the Church of England. The Church of England is called Anglican Church in other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland and in the USA. The Church of England is a Protestant church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s. The King or Queen (the Monarch) is the head, or Supreme Governor, of the Church of England. The monarch is not allowed to marry anyone who is not Protestant. The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch has the right to select the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the Church. Several Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords. In Scotland, the established church is the Presbyterian Church; its head is the Chief Moderator. There is no established church in Wales or in Northern Ireland .

 

Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and Quakers. 10% of Christians are Roman Catholic (40% in Northern Ireland).

 

 

Patron saints

 

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint called a patron saint. Each saint has a feast day. In the past these were celebrated as holy days when many people had a day off work. Today these are not public holidays except for 17 March in Northern Ireland.

 

 

 

Patron Saints´ days
St. David´s Day, Wales	1 March
St. Patrick´s Day, N. Ireland	17 March
St. George´s Day, England	23 April
St. Andrew´s Day, Scotland	30 November

 

There are also four public holidays a year called Bank Holidays. These are of nor religious or national significance.

 

 

Check that you understand

 

The percentage of the UK population who say they are Christian

How many people say they have no religion

What percentage are Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist

Everyone in the UK has the right to practise their religion

The Anglican church, or Church of England, is the church of the state in England (established church)

The monarch (king or queen) is head of the Church of England

In Scotland the established church is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In Wales and Northern Ireland there is no established church.

 

 

Customs and traditions

 

Festivals

 

Throughout the year there are festivals of art, music and culture, such as the Notting Hill Carnival in west London and the Edinburgh Festival. Customs and traditions from various religions, such as Eid ul-Fitr (Muslim), Diwali (Hindu) and Hanukkah (Jewish) are widely recognised in the UK. Children learn about these at school. The main Christian festivals are Christmas and Easter. There are also celebrations of non-religious traditions such as New Year.

 

The main Christian festivals

 

Christmas Day

 

25 December, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a public holiday. Many Christians go to church on Christmas Eve (24 December) or on Christmas Day itself. Christmas is also usually celebrated by people who are not Christian. People usually spend the day at home and eat a special meal, which often includes turkey. They give each other gifts, send each other cards and decorate their houses. Many people decorate a tree. Christmas is a special time for children. Very young children believe that an old man, Father Christmas (or Santa Claus), brings them presents during the night. He is always shown in pictures with a long white beard, dressed in red. Boxing Day, 26 December, is the day after Christmas. It is a public holiday.

 

Other festivals and traditions

 

New Year

 

1 January, is a public holiday. People usually celebrate on the night of 31 December. In Scotland, 31 December is called Hogmanay and 2 January is also a public holiday. In Scotland Hogmanay is a bigger holiday for some people than Christmas.

 

Valentine´s Day

 

14 February, is when lovers exchange cards and gifts. Sometimes people send anonymous cards to someone they secretly admire.

 

April Fool´s Day

 

1 April, is a day when people play jokes on each other until midday. Often TV and newspapers carry stories intended to deceive credulous viewers and readers.

 

Mother´s Day

 

The Sunday three weeks before Easter is a day when children send cards or buy gifts for their mothers. Easter is also an important Christian festival.

 

Hallowe´en

 

31 October, is a very ancient festival. Young people will often dress up in frightening costumes to play trick or treat. Giving them sweets or chocolates might stop them to playing a trick on you. Sometimes people carry lanterns made out of pumpkins with a candle inside.

 

Guy Fawkes Night

 

5 November, is an occasion when people in Great Britain set off fireworks at home or in special displays. The origin of this celebration was an event in 1605, when a group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan to kill the Protestant king with a bomb in the House of Parliament.

 

Remembrance Day

 

11 November, commemorated those who died fighting in World War I, World War II and other wars. Many people wear poppies, a red flower, in memory of those who died. At 11 AM there is a two-minute silence.

 

Sport

 

Sport of all kinds plays an important part in many people´s lives. Football, tennis, rugby and cricket are very popular sports in the UK. There are no United Kingdom teams for football or rugby. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own teams. Important sporting events include, the Grand National horse race, the Football Association (FA) cup final (and equivalents in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), the Open golf championship and the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

 

Check that you understand

 

Which sports are most popular in the UK

The patron saints´ days in England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland

What Bank Holidays are

The main traditional festivals in the UK

That the main festivals in the UK are Christian based, but that important festivals from other religions are recognised and explained to children in school