In terms of economic well-being, health, education and employment British citizens are, on average, better off than they were 20 years ago. But inequality has persisted in some areas. The key publications available here paint a picture of the equality groups in contemporary UK society, placing particular emphasis on comparing their experiences.
Publications
This report presents the latest figures on male and female health expectancy, at birth and at age 65, for the UK and its four constituent countries. While life expectancy (LE) provides an estimate of average expected life-span, healthy life expectancy (HLE) divides total LE into years spent in good or ‘not good’ health. Disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) divides LE into years lived with and without a chronic illness or disability. These figures are three-year averages. LE is taken from the UK national interim life tables published annually by ONS, and the measures of health and chronic illness from the General Household Survey (GHS) in Great Britain and the Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in Northern Ireland.
The Health and Social Care Inequalities Monitorting System comprises a basket of indicators to assess area differences in mortality, morbidity, utilisation of and access to health and social care services in Northern Ireland. Trends in Health Inequalities between both the 20% most deprived areas and rural areas compared with Northern Ireland as a whole are reported.
Overview
Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysis has shown that some progress has been made over the last 20 years in reducing inequality (for example, equal pay for women and educational attainment for some ethnic minority groups). But there are also a number of other examples for particular ethnic groups, disabled people and socio-economic groups where disadvantages have persisted.
Our key publications paint a picture of the equality groups in contemporary UK society. They include information on their characteristics, lifestyles and experiences, concentrating on comparing and contrasting their experiences in relation to economic well-being, health, education and employment.
ONS are currently improving equality data and information. In 2007 it published the Review of Equality Data (EDR), a cross-government review undertaken by diversity and equality stakeholders. This found that equality data already exist but are not always easy to find.
The starting point for improvement was a measurement framework proposed in the Cabinet Office-commissioned Equalities Review (February 2007) which included the following equality characteristics:
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gender
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transgender
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ethnicity
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disability
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age
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sexual orientation
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religion/belief
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socio-economic status
In response, ONS has located all of its equality related statistical publications within this section of the GSS publication hub in addition to creating its own measuring equality web pages. This section will continue to expand as additional equality data become available.
Technical Data
Technical information is available with each individual publication.
The ONS-led review of equality data took place from June to September 2007. It was guided by a cross-Government task force with diversity and equality stakeholders drawn from eight Whitehall departments and the three devolved administrations.
The review was an audit across the main equality strands and accessibility of data. The review found that the existing data gaps were in the provision of Sexual Identity, Transgender and Disability statistics.
The report attributed a lack of strategic co-ordination for the equality data gaps and inconsistencies in the equality and inequalities evidence base. It makes 22 recommendations for ONS and other government bodies to improve co-ordination and processes, data comparability and quality, and data accessibility and presentation.
Further information on the Equalities Review or the Equality Data Review can be found on the measuring equality web pages.
Glossary
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Age-standardised rates
These allow comparisons between populations with different age structures. The method used here is direct standardisation using the European Standard Population.
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Disability
Used to refer to limiting long term illness or disability which restricts daily activities. It is calculated from a 'Yes' response to the question in the 2001 Census: "Do you have any long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits your activities or the work you can do?"
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Economic activity
The number of people who are employed or unemployed as a percentage of the total population aged 16 and over. The economic activity rate is the percentage of the population, such as in a given age group, which is economically active.
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Economic inactivity
Economically inactive people are neither in employment nor unemployed, and are not actively seeking work, for example, people who have retired or are long-term sick. The Labour Force Survey categorises all economically inactive people who are more than five years above the State Pension Age as retired. The economic inactivity rate for an age group is the number of people who are inactive as a percentage of the total population of that age.
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Employment
The International Labour Organisation’s definition of the employment rate is the percentage of people in a given age group who are in one or more hours of paid employment a week. The employment rate can be presented for any population group and is the proportion of that group who are in employment.
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Equality Data Review (EDR)
The ONS-led review of equality data took place from June to September 2007. It was guided by a cross-Government task force with diversity and equality stakeholders drawn from eight Whitehall departments and the three devolved administrations. The report concludes that the lack of strategic co-ordination has contributed to the equality data gaps and inconsistencies in the equality and inequalities evidence base. It makes 22 recommendations for ONS and other government bodies to improve co-ordination and processes, data comparability and quality, and data accessibility and presentation.
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Great Britain
Includes England, Wales and Scotland.
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Unemployment
The measure based on International Labour Organisation guidelines and used in the Labour Force Survey counts as unemployed: people who are without a job, are available to start work in the next two weeks, who have been seeking a job in the last four weeks or are out of work and waiting to start a job already obtained in the next two weeks. The unemployment rate is the percentage of economically active people who are unemployed.
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United Kingdom
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Contact Details
For statistical enquiries about this topic, please contact:
Equalities and Wellbeing Branch
Email: Equalities@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 16 3345 5599
Household, Labour Market and Social Wellbeing Room 1.024 Office for National Statistics Cardiff Road Newport NP10 8XG
