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Citizenship survey: April 2010 - March 2011 Statistics

Summary: The latest National Statistics from the Citizenship Survey produced by Communities and Local Government were released on Thursday 22 September 2011.

The release includes data covering a range of issues including influencing decisions, volunteering, community cohesion, fear of crime, racial and religious prejudice, discrimination and attitudes toward violent extremism.

Data in this statistical release are based on England, however, some figures are based on England and Wales; these are specifically referenced in the text.

The latest statistics report on the 2010-11 survey (all four quarters of the 2010-11 survey, from April 2010 to March 2011), and update those statistics released on 14 April 2011 (covering the April - December 2010 period).

Key statistics from the release include:

  • In 2010-11, 38 per cent felt they could influence decisions in their local area. However, a higher proportion of people (74 per cent) said it was important for them to be able to influence local decision making, and 44 per cent of people said they would like to be more involved in decisions made by Councils affecting their local area.
  • Thirty-four per cent of people said that they had engaged in civic participation at least once in the 12 months prior to interview. This figure was unchanged on 2009-10 but lower than in any year before then (between 38 per cent and 39 per cent).
  • Twenty-five per cent of people reported that they volunteered formally at least once a month in 2010-11, a lower rate than at any point between 2001 and 2007-08 (when it ranged between 27 per cent and 29 per cent), but unchanged on 2008-09 and 2009-10 levels.
  • Thirty-six per cent of people trusted Parliament either 'a lot' or a 'fair amount', a rise since 2009-10 (29 per cent) when the proportion had dropped relative to all previous years. Sixty-four per cent of people trusted their local council, higher than in all previous years.
  • In 2010-11, 86 per cent of people thought their community was cohesive, agreeing that their local area was a place where people from different backgrounds got on well together. The level was higher than all previous years.
  • Eighty-six per cent of adults in England were satisfied with their local area as a place to live, an increase on previous years: 82 per cent in 2008-09 and 83 per cent in 2009-10.
  • Seventy-seven per cent of people thought that the number of immigrants coming to Britain should be reduced; whilst three per cent thought the number should be increased.
  • More people said they were not at all worried about being a victim of crime in 2010-11 (22 per cent) than in all previous years (between 10 per cent and 20 per cent).
  • More people said they felt safe ('very safe' or 'fairly safe') walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2010-11 (76 per cent) than in all previous years (between 67 per cent and 74 per cent).
  • In 2010-11, 7 per cent of adults in England felt racial or religious harassment was a 'very' or 'fairly' big problem in their local area. People from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely than white people to feel that racial or religious harassment was a 'very' or 'fairly' big problem (13 per cent compared with 6 per cent).
  • Forty-four per cent of people thought that there was more religious prejudice today than there was five years ago; this represents a year on year decline since 2008-09 (from 52 per cent in 2008-09 to 46 per cent in 2009-10).
  • Twenty-two per cent of people thought that they would be treated worse than people of other races by at least one of the eight public service organisations measured. Nine per cent of people thought they would be treated worse than people of other races by at least one of the five Criminal Justice System organisations.
  • In 2010-11, 87 per cent of people rejected general violent extremism.

To read more and view reports, click here.

Source: communities.gov.uk

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