Mathematical sciences now underpin some of the fastest-growing and highest-value sectors of the UK economy, from artificial intelligence and data science to finance, health, infrastructure and advanced engineering. Yet the evidence presented in this report highlights a structural and persistent challenge: minoritised ethnic groups remain materially under-represented in mathematical-science occupations: they make up 19.5% of the working-age population but only 14.8% of those working in mathematical-science roles. Drawing on Census 2021, the Annual Population Survey and the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences’ recent economiccontribution analysis, the report quantifies the scale of this gap and translates it into a conservative estimate of foregone annual Gross Value Added to the UK economy.
By anchoring the analysis to the Academy’s established methodological framework, the report demonstrates that closing the representation gap could unlock an estimated £23 billion per year in additional economic output. This is not presented as a zero-sum redistribution of existing jobs, but as a growth opportunity aligned with skills shortages already identified across AI and dataintensive sectors. The brief version of the analysis and the extended technical report set out the data, assumptions and policy levers in full. Together, they provide an evidence-based foundation for coordinated action across government, industry and the mathematical sciences community.
Read the full paper Unleashing Potential: The £23bn Economic Opportunity in UK Mathematical Sciences Ethnic Diversity Prepared by Dr. Howard Haughton
Read the Policy Brief – Quantifying the Ethnic Diversity Dividend in Mathematical Sciences and AI
