Poverty and ethnicity
What are the links between poverty and ethnicity?
Contacts
Understanding how ethnicity affects levels and experiences of poverty.
Introduction
This programme aims to understand the underlying reasons for variations in low income and deprivation among different ethnic groups in the UK and the problems caused. It also aims to contribute towards solutions to these problems.
Key issues
Existing research shows that ethnicity clearly has a relationship with poverty. However the ways in which the two are linked are complex and the relationship between them is not yet well understood.
There are much higher levels of poverty among all ethnic minority groups than exists among the majority white population. However, great variations exist between ethnic minority groups and within them (as well as within the majority white population).
Explanations for the high levels of poverty among ethnic minority groups currently fall into three main areas:
- Work status and employment rates;
- In-work poverty;
- Out-of-work poverty.
Overview
During 2010/11, JRF has undertaken an in-depth scoping project to provide the basis for a new programme of work.
The scoping work included;
- Consultation with communities in a number of locations around the UK, involving a range of ethnic minority groups and white British/white Scottish communities.
- Working with 'experts' to identify what is currently known about a range of factors relating to ethnicity and poverty, and where there are key gaps in our knowledge.
- Discussions with stakeholders in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
To read these reports, see Key publications (right).
A fuller programme of Poverty and Ethnicity work will be launched in 2011. For more information, read our Investigations summary. A first call for proposals will be issues in Autumn 2011.
You can sign up to the poverty and ethnicity email alert for more information (above right).
