British diaspora
Total population
Estimated at about 200 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
United States109,531,643
(up to 33% of population)[upper-alpha 1][4]
Australia19,301,379
(up to 76% of population)[upper-alpha 2][5]
Canada17,325,860
(up to 48% of population)[upper-alpha 3][7]
New Zealand3,372,708
(up to 70.2% of population)[upper-alpha 4][9]
South Africa1,600,000
(4% of population)[10]
Chile700,000-850,000
(4% of population)[11]
France150,000-400,000 (2017)[12]
Spain297,229 (2014)[13]
Germany178,000 (2021)[14]
India350,000-400,000 (2023)[15]
Languages
Predominantly English
Also: Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots, Cornish, Manx, British Sign Language
Religion
Predominantly Christianity (Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic, etc.)[16]

The British diaspora consists of people of English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish, Manx and Channel Islands ancestral descent who live outside of the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies.

In 2008, the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimated that at least 80% of New Zealanders had some British ancestry, however at the 2018 census only 70% of New Zealanders identified as having some European ancestry.[8][9] Up to 76% of Australians, 48% of Canadians, 33% of Americans, 4% of Chileans and 3% of South Africans have ancestry from the British Isles.[17][7][11][10]

The British diaspora includes about 200 million people worldwide.[1] Other countries with over 100,000 British expatriates include the Republic of Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates.[18][19]

History of British diaspora

Up to the 19th century

After the Age of Discovery, the various peoples of the British Isles, and especially the English, were among the earliest and by far the largest communities to emigrate out of Europe. Indeed, the British Empire's expansion during the first half of the 19th century saw an extraordinary dispersion of the British people, with particular concentrations in Australasia and North America.[20]

The British Empire was "built on waves of migration overseas by British people",[21] who left Great Britain, later the United Kingdom, and reached across the globe and permanently affected population structures in three continents.[20] As a result of the British colonisation of the Americas, what became the United States was "easily the greatest single destination of emigrant British", but in what would become the Commonwealth of Australia the British experienced a birth rate higher than anything seen before, which together with continuing British immigration resulted in a huge outnumbering of indigenous Australians.[20]

In colonies such as Southern Rhodesia, British Hong Kong, Singapore, Jamaica, Barbados, Malaysia, and the Cape Colony, permanently resident British communities were established, and while never more than a numerical minority, these Britons exercised a dominant influence upon the culture and politics of those lands.[21] In Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, people of British origin came to constitute the majority of the population, contributing to these states becoming integral to the Anglosphere.[21]

The British not only emigrated to parts of the British Empire, but also settled in large numbers in parts of the Americas, particularly in the United States and in sizeable numbers in Mexico, Chile and Argentina.

The United Kingdom census, 1861 estimated the number of overseas British to be around 2.5 million. However, it concluded that most of these were "not conventional settlers" but rather "travellers, merchants, professionals, and military personnel".[20] By 1890, there were over 1.5 million further British-born people living in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.[20]

British diaspora today

According to The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, there were 13.1 million British nationals living abroad in 2004–05. These figures are taken from the consular annual returns from overseas posts. There is no requirement for UK citizens to register with British missions overseas, so these figures are therefore based on the most reliable information that can be obtained, e.g. from host government official statistics.[22]

A 2006 publication from the Institute for Public Policy Research estimated that 5.5 million British-born people lived outside the United Kingdom.[19]

In terms of outbound expatriation, in 2009, the United Kingdom had the most expatriates among developed OECD countries, with more than three million British living abroad, a figure followed by Germany and Italy.[23] On an annual basis, emigration from Britain has stood at about 400,000 per year for the past 10 years.[24]

Living abroad as an expatriate can affect certain rights. In particular:

  • [25] can only vote in general elections if they have been on a British electoral register at some point in the past 15 years. Otherwise, they are not eligible to vote.[26][27] This Briefing Paper provides information on the eligibility to vote in UK Parliamentary elections for British citizens living overseas and the government's plans to end the 15-year rule – it's 'votes for life' policy.
  • The British Mental Health Act 1983 rules that persons resident abroad do not qualify as "nearest relative" of a person who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Distribution

Map of the British diaspora in the world by population (includes people with British ancestry or citizenship).
  United Kingdom
  + 10,000,000
  + 1,000,000
  + 100,000
  + 10,000

The earliest migrations of Britons date from the 5th and 6th centuries AD, when Brittonic Celts fleeing the Anglo-Saxon invasions migrated what is today northern France and north western Spain and forged the colonies of Brittany and Britonia. Brittany remained independent of France until the early 16th century and still retains a distinct Brittonic culture and language, whilst Britonia in modern Galicia was absorbed into Spanish states by the end of the 9th century AD.

Britons – people with British citizenship or of British descent – have a significant presence in a number of countries other than the United Kingdom, and in particular in those with historic connections to the British Empire. After the Age of Discovery, the British were one of the earliest and largest communities to emigrate out of Europe, and the British Empire's expansion during the first half of the 19th century triggered an "extraordinary dispersion of the British people", resulting in particular concentrations "in Australasia and North America".[20]

The British Empire was "built on waves of migration overseas by British people",[21] who left the United Kingdom and "reached across the globe and permanently affected population structures in three continents".[20] As a result of the British colonisation of the Americas, what became the United States was "easily the greatest single destination of emigrant British", but in Australia the British experienced a birth rate higher than "anything seen before", resulting in the displacement of indigenous Australians.[20]

In colonies such as Southern Rhodesia, British East Africa and Cape Colony, permanently resident British communities were established and, whilst never more than a numerical minority, these Britons "exercised a dominant influence" upon the culture and politics of those lands.[21] In Australia, Canada and New Zealand, "people of British origin came to constitute the majority of the population", contributing to these states becoming integral to the Anglosphere.[21]

The United Kingdom Census 1861 estimated the size of the overseas British to be around 2.5 million, but concluded that most of these were "not conventional settlers" but rather "travellers, merchants, professionals, and military personnel".[20] By 1890, there were over 1.5 million further UK-born people living in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.[20] A 2006 publication from the Institute for Public Policy Research estimated 5.6 million Britons lived outside of the United Kingdom.[28][29]

Outside of the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories, up to 76% of Australians, 70% of New Zealanders, 48% of Canadians, 33% of Americans, 4% of Chileans and 3% of South Africans have ancestry from the British Isles.[6][9][7][4][11][10] Hong Kong has the highest proportion of British nationals outside of the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories, with 47% of Hong Kong residents holding a British National (Overseas) status or a British citizenship.[30] The next highest concentrations of British citizens outside of the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories are located in Barbados (10%), the Republic of Ireland (7%), Australia (6%) and New Zealand (5%).[28]

Country British ancestry % British ancestry British citizens[28] Comments
 United States 109,531,643
(2020)[4]		 33%[upper-alpha 5] 678,000
(2006)		 See British Americans, English Americans, Scottish Americans, Welsh Americans and Scotch-Irish Americans; country with the most people of British descent.
 Australia 19,301,379
(2021)[17]		 76%[upper-alpha 6] 1,300,000
(2006)		 See Anglo-Celtic Australians, English Australians, Scottish Australians and Welsh Australians; most British citizens in the world outside of the United Kingdom.
 Canada 17,325,860
(2021)[7]		 48%[upper-alpha 7] 603,000
(2006)		 See British Canadians, English Canadians, Scottish Canadians and Welsh Canadians.
 New Zealand 3,372,708
(2018)[9]		 70%[upper-alpha 8] 215,000
(2006)		 See British New Zealanders, English New Zealanders, Scottish New Zealanders and Welsh New Zealanders.
 South Africa 1,600,000
(2011)[10]		 3% 212,000
(2006)		 See British Africans.
 Brazil 840,000
(2010)[31][32]		 0.4% 11,000
(2006)		 See English Brazilians and Scottish Brazilians.
 Chile 700,000
(2010)[11]		 3% 5,200
(2006)		 See British Chileans, English Chileans and Scottish Chileans.
 Ireland 291,000
(2006)		 7% 291,000
(2006)		 See Anglo-Irish people.
 Bahamas 38,000
(2019)[33]		 10% 4,100
(2006)		 See White Bahamians.
 Barbados 20,000
(2021)[34]		 7% 27,000
(2006)		 See White Barbadians.
 Bermuda 15,700
(2006)[35]		 7% 600
(2006)		 See White Bermudians.
 Cayman Islands 9,600
(2021)[36]		 30% 110
(2006)
 Gibraltar 9,100
(2006)[37]		 27% 3,600
(2006)
 Falkland Islands 2,474
(2016)[38]		 80% 930
(2006)
 Norfolk Island 857
(2016)[39]		 49% <100
(2006)
 Pitcairn Islands 49
(2018)[40]		 100%

^ Note: A different estimate puts China (incl. Hong Kong) ahead with a population of 3,750,000 British citizens,[41][42] most of which are those in Hong Kong who have continued to possess British nationality, particularly the British nationals (overseas) status, which numbered 3.4 million, through their connection with the former crown colony (see British nationality and Hong Kong for further details).[43]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The 2020 United States census results for those Americans who identify with full or partial "English", "Scottish", "Welsh", "Manx", "Channel Islander", "Scotch Irish", "Irish" or "American" ancestry. Demographers regard current figures as a "serious under-count", as a large proportion of Americans of British descent have a tendency to simply identify as 'American' since 1980 where over 13.3 million or 5.9% of the total U.S. population self-identified as "American" or "United States", this was counted under "not specified".[2][3]
  2. ↑ Estimated number of Australians of Anglo-Celtic descent. Includes Australians who identified their ancestry as part of the "North-Western European" ancestry group or as "Australian" at the 2021 census. Over 88% of Australians within the North-Western European ancestry group identified with at least one Anglo-Celtic ancestry.[5] The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most people nominating "Australian" ancestry have at least partial Anglo-Celtic European ancestry.[6]
  3. ↑ Canadians of British Isles, English-speaking "Canadian", "American", "Australian", "New Zealander", "Albertan", "British Columbian", "Cape Bretoner", "Manitoban", "New Brunswicker", "Nova Scotian", "Prince Edward Islander", "Saskatchewanian" and "United Empire Loyalist" descent.
  4. ↑ New Zealanders of European descent, the vast majority of whom are estimated to have some British ancestry.[8]
  5. ↑ The 2020 United States census results for those Americans who identify with full or partial "English", "Scottish", "Welsh", "Manx", "Channel Islander", "Scotch Irish", "Irish" and "American" ancestry. A large proportion of Americans of British descent have a tendency to simply identify as 'American' since 1980 where over 13.3 million or 5.9% of the total U.S. population self-identified as "American" or "United States", this was counted under "not specified".[2][3]
  6. ↑ Estimated number of Australians of Anglo-Celtic descent. Includes Australians who identified their ancestry as part of the "North-Western European" ancestry group or as "Australian" at the 2021 census. Over 88% of Australians within the North-Western European ancestry group identified with at least one Anglo-Celtic ancestry.[5]
  7. ↑ Canadians of British Isles, English-speaking "Canadian", "American", "Australian", "New Zealander", "Albertan", "British Columbian", "Cape Bretoner", "Manitoban", "New Brunswicker", "Nova Scotian", "Prince Edward Islander", "Saskatchewanian" and "United Empire Loyalist" descent.
  8. ↑ New Zealanders of European descent, the vast majority of whom are estimated to have some British ancestry.[8]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Richards, Eric (14 May 2004). Britannia's Children: Emigration from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland Since 1600. London: A&C Black (published 2004). pp. 3–4. ISBN 9781852854416. Retrieved 2 November 2020. [...] even the basic outline of the diaspora remains vague. It was never a controlled movement and it was mostly poorly documented. Migrants are always difficult to categorise and to count. [...] The scale of the modern British dispersion has been estimated at about 200 million, [...] or, counting those who can claim descent from British and Irish emigrants, more than three times the current population of the British Isles.
  2. 1 2 Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980 (Supplementary Report PC80-S1-10) Issued: April 1983
  3. 1 2 Dominic Pulera (2004). Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America. A&C Black. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-0-8264-1643-8.
  4. 1 2 3 "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census". United States census. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Census of Population and Housing: Cultural diversity data summary, 2021" (XLSX). Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Feature Article – Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Australia (Feature Article)". 1301.0 – Year Book Australia, 1995. Commonwealth of Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (8 February 2017). "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Canada [Country] and Canada [Country]". www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  8. 1 2 3 "Country Profile: New Zealand". 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights". Stats NZ. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Census 2011: Census in brief (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2012. p. 26. ISBN 9780621413885. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2015. The number of people who described themselves as white in terms of population group and specified their first language as English in South Africa's 2011 Census was 1,603,575. The total white population with a first language specified was 4,461,409, and the total population was 51,770,560.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Historia de Chile, Británicos y Anglosajones en Chile durante el siglo XIX". Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "From Le Monde: 254 percent surge in Britons seeking French citizenship as Brexit looms". France 24. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "End to Mediterranean dream for 90,000 Britons who left Spain last year". The Telegraph. 22 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "Bevölkerung in Privathaushalten nach Migrationshintergrund im weiteren Sinn nach Geburtsstaat in Staatengruppen".
  15. ↑ "The young Anglo-Indians retracing their European roots". 20 February 2023 – via www.bbc.com.
  16. ↑ 2011 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in England and Wales, Accessed 13 June 2014
  17. 1 2 "Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG), 2019 | Australian Bureau of Statistics". 18 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "The other special relationship: the UAE and the UK – The National".
  19. 1 2 Sriskandarajah, Dhananjayan; Drew, Catherine (2006). Brits Abroad: Mapping the scale and nature of British emigration. London: Institute for Public Policy Research. ISBN 1-86030-307-2.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ember et al. 2004, p. 47.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marshall 2001, p. 254.
  22. ↑ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 22 Mar 2006 (pt 15)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "Expatriates worldwide". JustLanded.com. 2009.
  24. ↑ "Working Abroad". whichoffshore.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  25. ↑ "British Expatriates". BritishExpatriates.com. 2021.
  26. ↑ "British citizens living abroad – About my vote, produced by The Electoral Commission". Aboutmyvote.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  27. ↑ "UK Parliament". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. 2021.
  28. 1 2 3 "Brits Abroad", BBC News, 11 December 2006, archived from the original on 30 November 2020, retrieved 13 April 2009
  29. ↑ Sriskandarajah, Dhananjayan; Drew, Catherine (11 December 2006), Brits Abroad: Mapping the scale and nature of British emigration, ippr.org.uk, archived from the original on 24 May 2008, retrieved 13 April 2009
  30. ↑ The Committee Office, House of Commons. "House of Commons – Foreign Affairs – Fifth Report". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  31. ↑ Gilberto Freyre. "Ingleses no Brasil".
  32. ↑ "A chegada dos britânicos ao Paraná". 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  33. ↑ "Bahamas Population 2019". World Population Review.
  34. ↑ "The World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. 20 October 2021.
  35. ↑ Edward G. Archer (2006). "Ethnic factors". Gibraltar, identity and empire. Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-415-34796-9.
  36. ↑ "The World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. 19 October 2021.
  37. ↑ Edward G. Archer (2006). "Ethnic factors". Gibraltar, identity and empire. Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-415-34796-9.
  38. ↑ Falkland Islands Government. "2016 Census Report" (PDF). stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  39. ↑ "2016 Census QuickStats – Norfolk Island". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  40. ↑ Government of the Pitcairn Islands. "Repopulation". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  41. ↑ "The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons put the size of the British expatriate community in Hong Kong at over 3 million". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  42. ↑ "The FCO had the figure for Hong Kong and China combined at 3,752,031 : Both figures cover all British nationals, including those who are not British citizens". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  43. ↑ "Lords Hansard, 22 March 2007". UK Parliament.

Bibliography

  • Ember, Carol R.; et al. (2004). Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Springer. ISBN 978-0-306-48321-9.
  • Marshall, Peter James (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-00254-7.
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