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There have been large changes in the ethnic composition of the UK in the last ten years.

The key change is a decline in the number of people describing themselves as White British from 80.5% to 74.4%. The main increases are 'other white' from 4.4% to 6.2%, 'mixed' from 2.2% to 2.9%, Asian from 7.5% to 9.3% and Black from 3.3% to 4.0%. . This is a result of several factors:

• Increased migration - the biggest change to the ethnic composition of the UK is the increase in 'other white'. This is caused by the migration of many young adults from ten Eastern European countries such as Poland, which joined the EU in 2004 and whose inhabitants were subsequently permitted to live and work in the UK. A reason for other ethnic groups such as 'Asian' and 'black' increasing is the continued migration from ex-colonial countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria.
• Differences in birth rates - the key factor for the increase in 'Asian' and 'black' groups is the higher birth rates associated with these communities in comparison to 'white British'. This can be for cultural or religious reasons.
• Development of a multicultural society - the increase in the number of people of mixed race is due to the development of a multicultural society where the people of the UK are now made up of different cultures and races as opposed to predominately one culture and race.