1. Samples of Anonymised Records: a resource for ethnicity research
Ed Fieldhouse
Director, SARs Support team

2. Key features of the SARs
Coverage
Full range of census variables
Size
Ethnicity and religion
Geography
Multivariate/flexibility
Household structure
Comparability with other census products
Easy access

3. 1991 Census microdata File Sample type Geography Availability
1991 Individual SAR
2% sample of individuals
GB and NI available separately.
Divided into a total of 288 SAR areas
Online registration and access via CCSR.
Data can be downloaded in SPSS, tab or Stata. Nesstar tool available for online data exploration.
1991 Household SAR
1% sample of households
GB and NI available separately. Regional geography

4. The SARs family 2001 File Sample type Geography Availability
Individual licenced
3% sample of individuals UK
GOR (+ Wales, Scot, NI, Inner/Outer London)
EUL
CCSR
Small area microdata
5% sample of individuals
UK: LA (or consituency in NI)
EUL CCSR
Household licensed
1% hierarchical file
None:
England & Wales only
Special licence UKDA
Individual CAMS
Same sample as Individual licenced SAR
LA (GB) or Constituency (NI)
IMD info for SOA
In house at ONS
Household CAMS
All of UK

5. Individual SAR 3% sample of individuals from UK 1.84 million records
All census variables present
Lowest geography – GOR
Access
End User Licence (via Athens for academics
Do not attempt to identify anyone
Do not pass on data to unregistered individual

6. Controlled Access Individual SAR
3% sample of individuals from UK
1.84 million records
All census variables present with very great detail
Lowest geography – LA
Access
Only within 4 ONS offices
Rigorous application procedure by ONS
Careful vetting of outputs by ONS

7. Household SAR 1% sample of households, E & W only
225K Households; 525K individuals
All census variables present
No geography
Individuals linked within household
Access
Special Licence - administered by UKDA
More restrictive than EUL, eg cannot use on laptop
Applications need approval by ONS

8. Controlled Access Household SAR
Same sample as SL-Household SAR, but also contains Scotland and NI
All census variables present with very great detail
Lowest geography – LA
Access
Only within 4 ONS offices
Rigorous application procedure by ONS
Careful vetting of outputs by ONS

9. Small Area Microdata (SAM)
5% sample of Individuals from UK
2.96 million records
Most census variables present – restricted detail
Lowest geography – LA
Access
End User Licence (via Athens for academics)
Do not attempt to identify anyone
Do not pass on data to unregistered individual

10. The 1991 Census ethnic group question asked in England, Wales and Scotland

11. The 2001 Census ethnic group question asked in England and Wales

12. The 2001 Census ethnic group question asked in Scotland

13. The 2001 Census ethnic group question asked in Northern Ireland

14. 2007 Test – England and Wales

15. File
No of ethnic group categories
Country of birth
Religion
1991 Individual SAR 10 42 No
Individual licensed 2001
16 England and Wales
14 Scotland
2 Northern Ireland 16
9 E/W
11 Scotland
7 NI
Small area microdata
13 E/W
8 Scotland
2 NI 5
10 Scotland
1991 Household SAR
SL Household licensed
16 E/W
Individual CAMS
12 NI 49
Household CAMS

16. 1991 2% Individual SAR

17. Ethnic Group for England and Wales – 2001 3% Individual Licensed SAR

18. SAM: Sample size by ethnicity (England and Wales)

19. SAM: Northern Ireland

20. SAM in Scotland

21. Comparison of ethnic group categories in 1991-2001 Census
From Simpson and Akinwale, 2006

22. Ethnic group imputation in 2001

23. Comparing with the 100% data: England

24. Comparing with the 100% data: Scotland

25. Key research areas on ethincity using SARs
Ethnic differences in unemployment
Ethnic differences in educational attainment and participation
Ethnic differences in class attainment
Ethnic composition of families
Ethnic differences in health

26. Research findings: 1991 SARs: Unemployment
In contrast to the small sample size of survey data which forces many researchers to over-collapse the categories and call all minority ethnic groups 'black', the SARs allows for detailed analysis of ethnic groups.
Differences both between and within major ethnic groups can be explored in various aspects of their socio-economic lives while at the same time controlling for other important characteristics.
Blackburn, Dale and Jarman (1997) showed striking differences between ethnic groups in the vulnerability to unemployment, even among people with the same level of educational qualifications. One in five (20 per cent) of UK-born Black-African men and women with higher qualifications were unemployed, but the rate for similarly qualified UK-born Whites was only one fifth as many (3 to 4 per cent). This is a case of what might be called 'ethnic penalty'
See also Fieldhouse and Gould, 1998 on how ethnic penalties are affected by local labour market conditions using sub-regional geography in SAR
Similar work by Simpson et al (for DWP) and Heath et al using 2001 SARs

27. Mixed couples – SL-HSAR

28. ...and UK born

29. Impact of age, sex, qualifications and country of birth on economic activity (source DWP Research Report 333)

30. Impact of age, sex, qualifications and country of birth on economic activity (source DWP Research Report 333

31. ‘Ethnic penalties’ on women's economic activity (source DWP Research Report 333

32. ‘Ethnic penalties’ on men’s unemployment (source DWP Research Report 333

33. Accessing the files
EUL files available online following standard registration with the Census Registration System
Licensed Individual file 2001
Small Area Microdata file 2001
1991 1% household and 2% individual SARs
Special licence Household SAR (via UKDA)
CAMS – controlled access allowed via ONS at specified sites