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ISSUES: Citizenship
Key Facts
Key facts
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In 2015, 118,100 foreign citizens naturalised as British
citizens. This is down more than 40% from 2013, when
citizenship grants reached almost 208,000, the largest
annual number since records began in 1962. (page 6)
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From 2009 to 2013, citizenship grants averaged
195,800 per year. (page 6)
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The number of decisions made on citizenship
applications in 2015 did not increase in line with an
increase in the number of applications submitted
(applications increased by about 23,700 or 18%
from 2014 to 2015), suggesting that the declining
trend in citizenship grants may end in 2016 as these
applications are processed. (page 6)
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Proposals for the “first nation state in space” have
been unveiled by a team of scientists and legal
experts, who say the move will foster peace, open up
access to space technologies and offer protection for
citizens of planet Earth. (page 14)
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73% of Nigerians feel they are global citizens,
compared to 71% in china, 70% in Peru and 67% in
India. (page 18)
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Young people, here 18- to 21-year-olds, are less
engaged in traditional, electoral politics (especially
voting) than the general population, but as engaged
in other forms of participation. Those in education are
more active than the general population in all forms
of participation except voting and contact (although
the gap here is not that large) and have higher levels
of social and political trust. (page 21)
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18- to 21-year-olds in higher education have similar
levels of engagement in electoral politics as the
mean figure for all ages, but are much more likely to
engage in all other forms of participation than the
general population. They also have higher levels of
social and political trust than the general population
and are much more likely to sign petitions, participate
in demonstrations and join boycotts than 18-21 year
olds not in higher education. (page 21)
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Being in education boosts participation for 18–21s in
almost all political acts, especially for those from low
income backgrounds, who actually outperform those
from high income backgrounds in education for
working for an organisation or association, signing a
petition, going on a demonstration, or participating
in a boycott. It also shows that 18- to 21-year-olds in
education from low income backgrounds outperform
those from high income backgrounds who are not
in education on these measures, as well as being
significantly more likely to vote. (page 21)
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People who volunteer in sport have a 10% higher self-
esteem, emotional wellbeing and resilience than those
who have never volunteered. (page 22)
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Those who have never volunteered in sport are more
likely to feel unhappy, sad or depressed. (page 22)
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A high proportion of first-generation migrants (born
abroad) believe in the duty to vote. (page 25)
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In England 4% of councillors, candidates and MPs who
come from an ethnic minority. In Wales it is 0.8% and
in Scotland the percentage of non-white councillors is
similar to that of its population at 3.4%. (page 25)
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Nearly a quarter of Labour (24%) and Lib Dem (23%)
voters think it is appropriate to have started politically
encouraging a child by the age of ten (compared to 10%
of Conservatives and 8% of Ukippers). (page 27)
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Most people say having a monarchy is very important or
important for the country. But the size of this majority
has decreased significantly in the past 30 years. In 1983
more than four-fifths of the population (86%) were in
favour of the monarchy. This figure fell to 66% in 1994
and it remained stable until 2011. (page 29)
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In 2015: 79% of women and 66% of men said the
monarchy was important to Britain, a difference of 13
percentage points. (page 29)
