St George's Day: Fewer people identify as English in Rother

By Will Grimond, Data Reporter, Patrick Jack, Data Reporter
Published 22nd Apr 2022, 12:43 BST
A member of the public walks past a St George's flag in Warminister in Wiltshire as the town celebrates St George's Day.A member of the public walks past a St George's flag in Warminister in Wiltshire as the town celebrates St George's Day.
A member of the public walks past a St George's flag in Warminister in Wiltshire as the town celebrates St George's Day.
Fewer people see themselves as English in Rother than before the 2016 EU referendum, according to a national survey, while more are identifying as British.

Fewer people see themselves as English in Rother than before the 2016 EU referendum, according to a national survey, while more are identifying as British.

The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey invites a sample of local people to declare their identity.

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Participants can select as many options as they like from British, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or ‘other.’

The latest results come ahead of St George’s Day on April 23 – a celebration of England’s patron saint and the country’s history.

In the year to June 2016, in the lead-up to the Brexit referendum, 68% of residents surveyed in Rother said that they identify as English - but this fell to 52% in the year to December 2021.

Over the same period, the proportion of people identifying as British increased from 36% to 49% – meaning that despite a decrease, English has remained the most popular answer in Rother.