National identity
Definition
A classification of a person's national identity.
National identity is a feeling of attachment to a nation. This does not need to be the same as ethnic group or legal nationality (citizenship). For example, this could be about the country or countries where a person feels they belong or they think of as home.
Classification
Total number of categories 9
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish identity only |
| 2 | British identity only |
| 3 | Scottish and British identity only |
| 4 | Scottish and any other identity |
| 5 | English identity only |
| 6 | Any other combination of UK identities (UK only) |
| 7 | Other identity only |
| 8 | Other identity and at least one UK identity |
| -5 | No code required - comprises schoolchildren and full-time students living away from home during term time |
Source question or variables
Question 22 - What do you feel is your national identity?
- Scottish
- English
- Northern Irish
- Welsh
- British
- Other, please write in
Reason for asking
This question allows people to express their identity. For example, it allows ethnic minorities to express a Scottish identity separately from recording their ethnic group, or to express their own national identity under the write-in option provided.
This information will be used to measure community cohesion by providing a clearer understanding of how people identify themselves within Scotland.
It will provide public bodies with a better understanding of the communities that they serve and combined with other statistical analysis, highlight areas of deprivation among different cultural groups.
England & Wales and Scotland (2011) comparison
The questions in England & Wales (2021) and the Scotland (2011) Census question were identical to the Scotland 2022 question.
Definition
A person’s national identity is a self-determined assessment of their own identity with respect to the country or countries with which they feel an affiliation. This assessment of identity is not dependent on legal nationality or ethnic group.
These are simplified classifications we used to create outputs for the 2011 census.
View a full list of all possible national identity classifications.
Classification
Total number of categories 9
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish identity only |
| 2 | British identity only |
| 3 | Scottish and British identity only |
| 4 | Scottish and any other identity |
| 5 | English identity only |
| 6 | Any other combination of UK identities (UK only) |
| 7 | Other identity only |
| 8 | Other identity and at least one UK identity |
| X | No code required - comprises schoolchildren and full-time students living away from home during term time |
Source question or variables
Question 14
The question is set up with 6 tick boxes and 1 text box.
Respondents may select one or more tick boxes, referring to their national identity. If their national identity is not in the first 5 boxes, they may tick other, and also use the text box to state their identity.
The Variable assigned to National Identity is NATID, which is a derived variable created from the outputs of 2 variables, IDENUK and IDENINT. IDENUK represents the 6 tick boxes and IDENINT represents the text box.
Reason for asking
This new question allowed people to express their identity more fully. For example, it allowed ethnic minorities to express a Scottish identity separately from recording their ethnic group, or to express their own national identity under the write-in option provided.
This information will be used to measure community cohesion by providing a clearer understanding of how people identify themselves within Scotland.
It will provide public bodies with a better understanding of the communities that they serve and combined with other statistical analysis, highlight areas of deprivation among different cultural groups.
This question has never been asked in any previous UK census.
England & Wales (2011) and Scotland (2001) comparison
The question in England & Wales (2011) is identical to the Scotland (2011) question.
This question was not included in the 2001 census in Scotland.