For over 15 years, we have been looking at the backgrounds of individuals in high-ranking positions across British society.
We want your views before we start our next research on the issue – who makes up Britain’s elite in the 2020s?
Background
Our last piece of research on elites in Britain was in 2019.
Alongside the Social Mobility Commission, we analysed the backgrounds of 5,000 individuals in high-ranking positions across British society.
We looked at nine key areas: politics, business, the media, Whitehall and public bodies, public servants, local government, the creative industries, women, and sport.
It found that those who were privately educated, and those who went to Oxbridge for university, are heavily overrepresented in top jobs within competitive sectors like politics, law and the media.
Let us know your suggestions
Four years on, we are taking another look at the issue, with a renewed consideration of which professions and areas of British society we should focus on.
So, we want to know…which professions do you think should be included among Britain’s elite? People working at think tanks? Politicians in devolved governments? Tech leaders?
Let us know who you think are the most influential people in Britain for our upcoming research.
Our previous research on elites in Britain
Elitist Britain 2019
Full report
A detailed look at the backgrounds of Britain's leading people, including politicians, CEOs, athletes and many more.
Full reportElitist Britain 2019
Interactive map
The pathways taken by those in the most influential positions, through education from school to university.
Interactive map