Race and Ethnicity

According to the 2011 census the vast majority of people in Devon (94.9%) are from a White British ethnic background, which is higher than the South West (91.8%) and England (79.8%) proportions.  Figure 4.2 highlights that around 38,000 in Devon are from a non-White British background.  The largest ethnic minority group is ‘White: Other’, which tends to be European in origin.

Figure 4.2, Devon Population by Ethnicity, 2011

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Source: 2011 Census

Health, Care and Wellbeing Needs

All ethnic minority groups in England are more likely to live in deprived neighbourhoods than the White British population, with more than one in three from Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnic groups living in a deprived neighbourhood. However, this, proportion is decreasing. The unemployment rate of ethnic minorities is more than twice that of the White British population, with disparities greatest for Black ethnic groups.

The White Gypsy or Irish Traveller group has the poorest health, with men and women having rates of long-term limiting illness twice that of the White British group. Persistent health inequalities are also seen in the health of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women with illness rates 10% higher than in White British women. By comparison, the Chinese ethnic group persistently reports better health in both men and women.

The British Heart Foundation report the prevalence of cardiovascular disease does not vary considerably by ethnic group for females, and in men, rates were highest in Irish and White British and lowest in Black African men.

Black Caribbean, Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani men have a considerably higher prevalence of diabetes than the overall population.

Cancer research UK report higher mortality rates in White British groups, although survival rates for breast cancer are lower in Asian and Black ethnic groups.

Risk factors also vary across different ethnic groups. Smoking is most prevalent in Bangladeshi men, and binge drinking is much lower across ethnic minority groups. Individuals from different ethnic groups store fat in different places of the body resulting in different body shapes. Obesity, as measured by BMI, is much lower in South Asian groups and Chinese men than the overall population.  Breastfeeding rates tend to be higher in black and minority ethnic groups.

Public Health Outcomes

The following differences in health outcomes by ethnic group for England were highlighted in the inequalities section of the August 2016 release of the Public Health Outcomes Framework www.phoutcomes.info:

  • Children from White and Mixed ethnic backgrounds were more likely to have a good level of development and school readiness than children from Black and Asian groups. However, White children with a free school meal status, were less likely than other ethnic groups to have a good level of development and school readiness, and White children are less likely to achieve the expected level in phonics screening in both the general population and free school meals cohort
  • Pupil absence is highest in White and Mixed ethnic group, and lowest in Asian, Black and Chinese ethnic groups
  • Ethnic minority groups are almost twice as likely as Whites to experience fuel poverty
  • Social care users from Asian and Black ethnic group are less likely than White and Mixed groups to have as much social contact as they would like
  • Breastfeeding prevalence is lowest in White ethnic groups
  • Excess weight in childhood is more prevalent in Black and Asian ethnic groups, in adults it is more prevalent in Black and White ethnic groups
  • Smoking prevalence at all ages is highest in White and Mixed ethnic groups and lowest in Asian, Black and Chinese ethnic groups
  • ‘Five-a-day’ fruit and vegetable consumption is lower in Black and Asian ethnic groups
  • Self-reported wellbeing was poorer in Black ethnic groups.

Further Information