Ethnicity refers to the ethnic or cultural connections of an individual and of their ancestors. Ethnicity is a multifaceted term that is difficult to define, as the concept of ethnicity is constantly evolving. Ethnicity is considered to be a combination of shared characteristics including culture, language, religion, and traditions, which contribute to an individual's identity. Ethnicity is a self-defined and subjectively meaningful to the individual concerned.
Ethnicity is broadly defined based on a shared understanding of history and territorial origins (regional and national) of an ethnic group or community, as well as on particular cultural characteristics such as language and/or religion.
This harmonised standard presents guidance on how ethnicity can be defined, measured and presented in a more consistent manner.
Data on ethnicity is important to allow formulation of social policies, programmes and planning by Government. This information is critical in the delivery of adequate health services while eliminating direct or indirect discrimination and supporting more accurate diagnoses among different ethnic groups.
Ireland is a signatory to the UN International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). This convention recommends that "Population statistics should be disaggregated by race, colour, descent and ethnic or national origin, and sex".
Many data collections require information on ethnic identity. When collecting data on this topic, the following question is recommended:
What is your ethnic group/background?
The standard question on this topic is designed to collect information, for use in the majority of surveys or data collections. However, it is not intended to replace questions already in use for specialist surveys where more detailed analysis is required.
Some statistical production may require more detailed information on ethnicity. In such circumstances, any additional response categories should be based on the standard reference classification. Using the standard reference classification will enable more comparison between surveys, as the definitions and conceptual basis will be consistent.
The following list of response options represents the basic level of detail that the CSO recommends should be gathered in data collection.
| Standard Response Options and Codes for Ethnicity | |
| 10 12 14 16 | White Irish Irish Traveller Roma Any other White background, please specify |
|---|---|
| 18 20 22 |
Black Irish Black African Any other Black background, please specify |
| 24 26 28 30 | Asian Irish Asian Indian Chinese Any other Asian background, please specify |
| 32 | Arab |
| 34 | Mixed group/background, please specify |
| 36 | Other group/background, please specify |
The category 'Other group/background' can be used to count individuals who are not accurately represented by choosing one of the presented ethnic categories.
The standard response options and standard reference classification provided are based on recommended categories derived by the Census Advisory Group for the 2024 Census Pilot. Where data collections require more granular breakdowns, please refer to the standard reference classification, with associated coding structure.
Coding of free text options should also utilise the standard reference classification and coding structure at the level that best meet the operational, analysis or reporting requirements of your organisation.
In developing this data standard, the CSO explored user requirements for additional breakdowns which were used to develop the following Standard Reference Classification for Ethnicity:
| Standard Reference Classification for Ethnicity | |
| 10 12 14 16 | White Irish Irish Traveller Roma Other White background n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified) |
|---|---|
| 18 20 22 |
Black Irish Black African Other Black background n.e.c. |
| 24 26 28 30 | Asian Irish Asian Indian Chinese Other Asian background n.e.c. |
| 32 | Arab |
| 34 | Mixed group/background n.e.c. |
| 36 | Other ethnic group n.e.c. |
| 99 | Not applicable |
If more detailed breakdowns are required, please consult classifications@cso.ie
| Description of Ethnicity Related Terms | |
| Ethnic Group |
Ethnic groups consist of persons possessing some or all of the following characteristics:
|
| Race | Race includes race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, or national origin. Race has been defined as a long-shared history of which the group is conscious, distinguishing it from other groups, the memory of which, keeps it alive. It should have cultural traditions of its own including family and social customs and manners. |
| Citizenship | The particular legal bond between an individual and their State, acquired by birth or naturalisation, whether by declaration, choice, marriage, or other means according to national legislation. A person can change their citizenship and, in some cases, hold dual citizenship. |
| National Identity | National identity is a person's identity or a person's sense of belonging to one state or to one nation. It is the sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language. |
| Ancestry | Ancestry refers to a person's ethnic origin or descent, roots or heritage or the place of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the State. |
Taking an existing classification with customised codes and descriptors, we can migrate to the harmonised standard with common codes and descriptors through a mapping exercise based on the standard reference classification.
| Concept name | Ethnicity |
| Variable name | ETHNICITY_CSO |
| Format type | Character code |
| Guideline Version | 1.0 |
| Guideline Release date | 07 February 2025 |
| Valid to | 07 February 2028 |
| Owner | Central Statistics Office (CSO) Classification Standardisation Team |
| Audience | Policy makers, system developers and producers or users of statistics |
| Contact | classifications@cso.ie |
This data standard will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains current and aligned with any changes in regulations or best practices. The validation period for this standard is three years.
We are always interested in hearing from users so that we can develop our work.