Ethnic inequalities among over 50s revealed in new research

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people aged between 50 and 70 are more likely to be in the poorest fifth of England's population and live in the most deprived neighbourhoods, finds a new study co-led by UCL researchers. The research, carried out with Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) for the Centre for Ageing Better, also found that black people in their 50s and 60s have significantly lower weekly incomes, an average of £100 a week less, than their white peers, and are less likely to own their own homes outright. In addition, the research also shows that black men and women in their 50s and 60s are more likely to be working - while white people in this age group are three times more likely to have retired - suggesting people from these ethnic groups are more likely to be in low paid jobs and/or to have less access to other sources of income, such as pension savings and assets. The research also found significant inequalities in housing. Nearly half of white people in their 50s and 60s own their home outright, compared to just 13% of their black peers. People approaching later life from BAME backgrounds are more likely to live in deprived neighbourhoods, with nearly a third of black and a quarter of Asian people living in the most deprived areas, compared to just 16% of the white population. The inequalities uncovered by this research are particularly significant as older generations become more diverse: the proportion of BAME people aged 50-70 has doubled from 4% to 8% since the previous generation.