Self defined ethnicity

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Self defined ethnicity (SDE) codes are a set of codes used by the Home Office in the United Kingdom to classify an individual's ethnicity according to that person's self-definition.

Contents

Codes

The codes are also called "18 + 1" codes, as there are 18 of them, plus one code (NS) for "not stated". [1] In addition to the previously used 16+1 codes, they contain the categories W3 and O2, while A4 is now replacing O1 (Chinese). [2]

The code system originated in the 2001 United Kingdom census based on Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report (SLIR). [2] [3]

British police forces are required to use the SDE 18+1 codes (as opposed to the commonly used radio shorthand IC codes) when spoken contact has taken place and an individual has been given an opportunity to state their self-perceived ethnicity.

List of SDE codes

White
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups
Asian or Asian British
Black, Black British, Caribbean or African
Other ethnic groups
Not stated

See also

References

  1. "Criminal Justice System Exchange Data Standards Catalogue, Version 6" (PDF). GOV.UK. HM Government. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 The code systems used within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to formally record ethnicity. 2 March 2007.
  3. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. February 1999.