Data protection information
Some of the information you have requested is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom Of Information Act, as some of the data tables released to you contain small numbers which may identify individuals. Where applicable, small numbers will be shown as <5 within the response.
Under section 40(2) of the FOIA, third party personal data (personal information of another person) is exempt from disclosure if releasing would contravene any of the provisions in the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.
All persons whose personal data is processed by HEE, regardless of whether they be staff, trainees or members of the public, have an intrinsic right to privacy and these rights are protected by virtue of the Data Protection Act. Release of the information subject to the exemption would compromise those rights, and we therefore do not consider it reasonable to release this information.
2019 ethnic demographic data table
Ethnic group | Total number of applications by ethnicity – 2019 | Total number of accepted offers by ethnicity – 2019 |
White – British | 4479 | 297 |
White Irish | 140 | 16 |
Any other white background | 634 | 25 |
Asian or Asian British – Bangladesh | 196 | 6 |
Asian or Asian British – Indian | 499 | 17 |
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani | 345 | 7 |
Any other Asian background | 315 | 11 |
Black or Black British – African | 527 | <5 |
Black or Black British – Caribbean | 81 | <5 |
Chinese | 194 | 14 |
Mixed White and Asian | 116 | 7 |
Mixed White and Black Caribbean | 57 | <5 |
Mixed White and Black African | 66 | <5 |
Any other mixed background | 95 | <5 |
Any other Ethnic Group | 109 | <5 |
Any other Black background | 32 | <5 |
Not Stated/Blank | 289 | 21 |
Total | 8174 | 434 |
Percentage of successful applications in 2019 for each of the ethnic categories stated
This graph is a visual representation of the 2019 ethnic demographic data, detailed in the above table.

Graphic showing the visual representation of the 2019 ethnic demographic data
Percentage applications from each of the stated ethnic groups out of the total number of applications (2015-2019)
Ethnic group | 2015 (%) | 2016 (%) | 2017 (%) | 2018 (%) | 2019 (%) |
Any other Asian background | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 |
Any other Black Background | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Any other ethnic group | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
Any other mixed background | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
Any other White Background | 8 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 2 | 2.4 |
Asian or Asian British – Indian | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6 | 6.1 |
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
Black or Black British- African | 6.7 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 6.4 |
Black or Black British -Caribbean | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | 1.0 |
Chinese | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
Mixed White and Asian | 1.3 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
Mixed White and Black African | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
Mixed White and Black Caribbean | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
Not Stated | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3.5 |
White British | 56 | 55 | 55.2 | 57.3 | 54.8 |
White Irish | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
Total numbers of accepted offers by ethnic group (2015-2019)
Ethnic group | 2015 (%) | 2016 (%) | 2017 (%) | 2018 (%) | 2019 (%) |
Any other Asian background | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 11 |
Any other ethnic background | 0 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 3 |
Any other mixed background | <5 | <5 | <5 | 5 | 3 |
Any other White Background | 15 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 25 |
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 | 6 |
Asian or Asian British – Indian | 11 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 17 |
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani | <5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
Black or Black British- African | <5 | <5 | 7 | <5 | 4 |
Black or Black British -Caribbean | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 | 10 |
Chinese | 0 | <5 | <5 | >5 | 14 |
Mixed White and Asian | 6 | <5 | <5 | 6 | 7 |
Mixed White and Black African | 0 | – | <5 | <5 | 0 |
Mixed White and Black Caribbean | 0 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 3 |
Not Stated | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 21 |
White British | 196 | 148 | 222 | 258 | 297 |
White Irish | <5 | <5 | 7 | <5 | 16 |
Total | 247 | 198 | 295 | 339 | 434 |