Ethnicity and IT employment
There were 416,000 IT specialists in the UK from BAME groups in 2023, representing 21% of all IT specialists in the UK at that time – a notably higher level of representation than amongst the workforce as a whole (16%). The level of BAME representation amongst IT specialists has remained consistently above the norm throughout the past five years as illustrated in the chart below:
Trends in workforce representation (2019-23)
Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS
Ethnicity in IT explored
Amongst IT specialists from BAME ethnic groups, representation is highest for those whose ethnicity is Indian (9%) – this group being more than twice as prominent amongst IT specialists as within the workforce as a whole (4% in 2023).
Ethnicity in the workforce (2023)
| Ethnicity | IT specialists |
Other occupations |
All occupations |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79% | 85% | 84% |
| BAME | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Indian | 9% | 3% | 4% |
| Black/African/Caribbean/Black British | 3% | 4% | 4% |
| Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Other ethnic group | 7% | 7% | 7% |
Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS
Representation across the UK
Representation of individuals from BAME ethnic groups amongst the IT professions varies significantly across the UK - from just 5-6% in the North East, Wales and Northern Ireland (5-year averages) to 35% in London.
Within all nations/regions, the proportion of IT specialists from BAME groups was equal to or higher than that recorded for the workforce as a whole for that area of the UK.
Workforce representation by nation / region (2023)
Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS
* Five-year average
