This briefing, prepared in partnership with Roma Support Group, Liverpool Hope University and Lancaster University, sets out why the UK’s Ethnicity Harmonised Standard (EHS) should include a separate Roma category and disaggregate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller identities across national datasets. It explains how current inconsistencies and the conflation of these communities undermine accurate monitoring of inequalities and limit the development of effective, targeted policy and services.
The content draws on our joint response to the Government Statistical Service’s consultation on user needs for additional response options in a future ethnicity standard, submitted in partnership with the Roma Support Group, Liverpool Hope University and Lancaster University.
Key points
- Problem identified: The current EHS and some census question sets either omit Roma or conflate Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller categories, producing inconsistent and misleading data.
- Consequences: Misclassification hides distinct health, education, housing and child welfare needs, weakening equality monitoring and resource allocation.
- Recommendation: Harmonise ethnicity categories across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and add separate response options for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Why this matters
- Policy impact: Disaggregated data would enable targeted interventions, better evaluation of national strategies (such as health, child poverty, safeguarding) and fairer resource distribution.
- Service delivery: Clear categories would help services identify specific barriers and design culturally appropriate support.
- Accountability: Improved data would make inequalities visible, strengthen equality monitoring under the Equality Act 2010, and support evidence‑based policymaking.
