A national identity question was introduced on the Labour Force Survey in 2001. Respondents in Wales were asked if they considered their national identity to be Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish, British or another national identity. They could choose as many or as few options as applied to them.
Sixty per cent of adults in Wales stated their national identity as Welsh only. A further 7 per cent described their national identity as Welsh but included another identity, most commonly British, in their answer. In total, 67 per cent of adults considered their national identity as wholly or partly Welsh.
As expected, the most important factor associated with Welsh identity was country of birth. People born in Wales were far more likely to describe their national identity as Welsh (87 per cent) compared with those born in England (15 per cent), in other UK countries (17 per cent) or outside the UK (13 per cent).
Among the general population, Welsh identity was most common in South Wales. Merthyr Tydfil had the highest proportion of people who reported a Welsh identity (85 per cent). It was one of a band of five Unitary Authority areas stretching from Neath Port Talbot in the mid south to Blaenau Gwent in the south east where 80 per cent or more identified as Welsh.
People aged 16 and over born in Wales and stating their national identity as Welsh: by Unitary Authority area, 2001/02
However, when considering only those born in Wales, Welsh identity was most commonly found in the west of the country. In each of the Unitary Authority areas of Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire 93 per cent of the Welsh-born said their national identity was Welsh.
North and west Wales contain the highest proportions of Welsh language speakers, and Welsh language ability was also related to national identity. Among people who could understand, speak, read and write Welsh, 89 per cent described their national identity as Welsh. This compares with 74 per cent of people with some of these skills and 59 per cent of those with none.
Qualifications, socio-economic class and age were also associated with Welsh identity.
Those with fewer educational qualifications were more likely to report a Welsh identity. For example, three quarters of people with no qualifications said their national identity was Welsh (75 per cent) compared with only half of those with a degree or equivalent qualification (51 per cent). Similarly, people in routine occupations were more likely than those in the higher managerial or professional socio-economic class to say their national identity was Welsh.
Younger adults aged 16 to 44 were more likely than older adults to describe their national identity as Welsh. There was no significant difference found between men and women.
Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, 2001/02, Office for National Statistics.
Notes: National Identity Question: People were asked "What do you consider your national identity to be? Please choose as many or as few as apply" – Answers were listed in the following order "Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish, British, other answer".
Adults: Adults are defined as people aged 16 and over.
Factors associated with having a Welsh national identity: A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine which factors were independently associated with having a Welsh identity. It found that country of birth, Welsh language ability, Unitary Authority areas, educational qualifications, socio-economic class and age were all significant.
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Demography