Black Privilege? The Great Black British Class Survey
In 2021, we launched a four-year study examining Britain’s invisible black middle class, engaging over 10,000 black professionals to become the largest data project on this group in Britain.
1,460 respondents answered 171 questions about their education, family, spending, relationships, media consumption and their political values.
Now complete, this research has compiled a comprehensive dataset that is providing unprecedented insight into the geography, wealth, media, consumption and socio-political values within Britain’s growing black middle class.
These findings challenge many of the things we think we know about the black experience in Britain and reshapes. popular understanding of class.
Get in touch if interested in the data.
Black Privilege? The Great Black British Class Survey provides an unprecedented dataset that examines wealth, family life, education, relationships, cultural habits, and political beliefs within this growing but fragmented social group.
Black Britain represents one of the country’s younger demographics, and the dataset shows how education has been central to its social mobility and identity. In higher education, informal networks such as African-Caribbean Societies (ACS) have played a pivotal role in fostering professional connections, with notable divergences based on parental class.
Wealth and home ownership are key themes in the study. The report explores how black professionals accumulate wealth, save, and invest, while also revealing patterns of homeownership and emerging trends in property buying.
Politically, the black middle class is far from monolithic. While many align with progressive causes, others have developed conservative leanings and ambitions. The report highlights a divergence in political behaviour, shaped by factors such as class background, education, and professional experience.
The study identifies three distinct subgroups within the black middle class. The Emerging Middle Class consists of individuals who have risen from working-class backgrounds and tend to retain those sensibilities while rejecting the need for cultural assimilation. The Traditional Middle Class, by contrast, is more assimilated, often attending elite institutions and forming multicultural social circles. Finally, the 1.1% Elite represents a small but influential group of high-achieving professionals and self-made business people, who view wealth accumulation as the primary route to equality.
The survey offers a comprehensive, data-driven insight into Britain’s black middle class that challenges conventional narratives about race and class in Britain. By highlighting the economic, cultural, and social complexities of this group, the report reshapes our understanding of black identity and raises important questions about class mobility in Britain.
Get in touch to explore the data .