Key findings

• • Persistent inequalities in limiting long-term illness are seen in the health of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women. Their illness rates have both been 10 per cent higher than White women in 1991, 2001 and 2011.

• • The White Gypsy or Irish Traveller group, identified for the first time in the 2011 Census, have particularly poor health. Both men and women had twice the White British rates of long-term limiting illness and poor self-rated health, and throughout the life course they are the group most likely to report a limiting long-term illness.

• • Ethnic inequalities in health are most pronounced at older ages:

  • – 56 per cent of all women aged 65 or older reported a limiting long-term illness, but over 70 per cent of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and White Gypsy or Irish Traveller women at this age reported a limiting long-term illness;

  • – Arab and Indian women aged 65 or over also reported high percentages of limiting long-term illness (66 and 68 per cent respectively);

  • – 48 per cent of White British men aged 65 or older reported poor self-rated health, but 75 per cent of White Gypsy or Irish Traveller, 74 per cent of Bangladeshi and 66 per cent of Pakistani men of the same age reported poor self-rated health.

• • The Chinese group reported persistently better health in 1991, 2001 and 2011, half or under half the White illness rates for both men and women.

• • Gender differences exist in ethnic inequalities in health across census years and health measures. For example, in 2011 White Irish men had higher rates of limiting long-term illness than White British men, whereas the opposite was true for White Irish women, who had lower rates of limiting long-term illness than White British women. Conversely, Indian men reported in most cases better health than White British men, whereas Indian women reported worse health than White British women.

• • Health inequalities for ethnic groups with poorer health were more pronounced in London in 2011 than elsewhere in England and Wales.

• • Health advantages among minority ethnic groups that have lower rates of limiting long-term illness than the White British group, including Chinese and Black African groups, were larger in regions outside of London.