Black Africans in Great Britain: Spatial Concentration and Segregation

Abstract

Research on Britain's African population has been rather limited, which is partly due to the lack of data. The 1991 Census gave official recognition to the increasing permanency of the African population through the introduction of the ethnic category Black African, which enumerated the group's population at 212 362 and resulted in a vast amount of illuminating demographic and socioeconomic data. This paper draws heavily on this database. It is clear that the Black-African group tends to have similar spatial patterns to the Black-Caribbean, but a high degree of segregation from whites and other ethnic groups. This can be explained through discrimination, economic marginalisation and poor social housing, although cultural factors do contribute to the pattern. It is suggested that Black-African concentrations may begin to disperse to replicate the current suburbanisation experience of the Black Caribbean.