Justice written question – answered at on 16 January 2013.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children in care in each year from 1997 to 2012 were of (a) white British, (b) black Caribbean, (c) black African, (d) Pakistani, (e) Indian, (f) Bangladeshi and (g) other ethnic group origin.
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Education.
Information on the ethnic group of children looked after by local authorities was collected for the first time in 2001. Information for the years prior to this is therefore not available. The information requested is shown in the following table.
All children looked after at 31 March by ethnic origin(1, 2) | ||||||||||||
Years ending: 31 March 2001 to 2012 | ||||||||||||
Coverage: England | ||||||||||||
Number | ||||||||||||
2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
All children looked after at 31 March | 58,890 | 59,710 | 60,820 | 61,220 | 60,980 | 60,340 | 59,990 | 59,380 | 60,910 | 64,460 | 65,520 | 67,050 |
White | 48,810 | 49,020 | 49,530 | 48,750 | 48,070 | 46,960 | 46,420 | 45,570 | 46,190 | 49,010 | 50,410 | 52,050 |
White British | 46,740 | 46,760 | 47,170 | 46,300 | 45,840 | 44,960 | 44,580 | 43,780 | 44,480 | 47,180 | 48,530 | 49,910 |
White Irish | 570 | 530 | 570 | 520 | 490 | 450 | 410 | 420 | 390 | 390 | 370 | 330 |
Traveller of Irish Heritage(3) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 30 | 40 | 40 | 50 |
Gypsy/Roma(3) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 30 | 60 | 90 | 120 |
Any other White background | 1,500 | 1,730 | 1,790 | 1,920 | 1,730 | 1,550 | 1,430 | 1,370 | 1,260 | 1,340 | 1,380 | 1,640 |
Mixed | 4,450 | 4,690 | 4,990 | 5,180 | 5,250 | 5,240 | 5,320 | 5,230 | 5,290 | 5,640 | 5,710 | 5,960 |
White and Black Caribbean | 1,860 | 1,960 | 2,060 | 2,150 | 2,150 | 2,130 | 2,170 | 2,140 | 2,150 | 2,260 | 2,250 | 2,250 |
White and Black African | 310 | 330 | 390 | 430 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 500 | 500 | 550 | 620 | 650 |
White and Asian | 650 | 680 | 760 | 790 | 810 | 840 | 880 | 860 | 850 | 950 | 1,010 | 1,120 |
Any other mixed background | 1,640 | 1,730 | 1,780 | 1,800 | 1,840 | 1,800 | 1,770 | 1,740 | 1,780 | 1,870 | 1,840 | 1,930 |
Asian or Asian British | 1,070 | 1,210 | 1,290 | 1,510 | 1,790 | 2,120 | 2,350 | 2,810 | 3,230 | 3,420 | 3,120 | 2,820 |
Indian | 290 | 290 | 290 | 300 | 290 | 300 | 300 | 310 | 300 | 320 | 300 | 280 |
Pakistani | 420 | 450 | 480 | 510 | 570 | 600 | 640 | 660 | 670 | 740 | 770 | 760 |
Bangladeshi | 140 | 170 | 170 | 230 | 270 | 280 | 280 | 310 | 350 | 410 | 430 | 440 |
Any other Asian background | 220 | 290 | 350 | 470 | 670 | 940 | 1,130 | 1,520 | 1,900 | 1,950 | 1,630 | 1,350 |
Black or Black British | 3,590 | 3,840 | 4,020 | 4,820 | 4,870 | 4,900 | 4,720 | 4,460 | 4,410 | 4,590 | 4,560 | 4,510 |
Caribbean | 1,520 | 1,530 | 1,550 | 1,670 | 1,650 | 1,660 | 1,650 | 1,600 | 1,570 | 1,660 | 1,630 | 1,540 |
African | 1,370 | 1,590 | 1,710 | 2,320 | 2,390 | 2,430 | 2,320 | 2,140 | 2,100 | 2,110 | 2,070 | 2,100 |
Any other Black background | 700 | 720 | 750 | 820 | 830 | 810 | 760 | 720 | 750 | 820 | 860 | 870 |
Other ethnic groups | 960 | 950 | 990 | 970 | 1,000 | 1,110 | 1,180 | 1,310 | 1,660 | 1,660 | 1,490 | 1,290 |
Chinese | 50 | 80 | 70 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 130 | 140 | 130 | 110 | 70 |
Any other ethnic group | 910 | 880 | 910 | 850 | 880 | 990 | 1,060 | 1,180 | 1,510 | 1,530 | 1,380 | 1,220 |
Other | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 140 | 140 | 220 | 430 |
Refused(3) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
Information not yet available(3) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 130 | 130 | 210 | 400 |
n/a =not applicable. (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Ethnic origin classification collected for the first time in 2009. Source: SSDA 903 |
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