ABSTRACT

The inclusion, for the first time, of a question in the 1991 Census on ethnic grouping allows to establish a much clearer picture of the demography of the minority ethnic communities in Scotland. As might perhaps be expected, the minority ethnic population in Scotland is predominantly urban. The average size of minority ethnic households is bigger than that for whites, although the position varies between the different ethnic groups. All minority ethnic groups have significant numbers who are self-employed and fewer employees than the population as a whole, a reflection of the number of small family businesses, including restaurants and shops. Yet access to mortgage finance has also been problematic and V. Kam suggests that the dependence of minority ethnic home owners on less conventional forms of the loans and mortgages has sustained their concentration in the inner cities.