New demographic statistics for the UK space sector

New demographic statistics for the UK space sector have been released today by Space Skills Alliance.

This is the first in a new series of reports based on the findings of the 2024 Space Census, the second national survey of the UK space workforce, which received responses from more than a thousand people from more than 250 organisations across the UK space sector.

The census results show that the demographics of the sector are changing to be more representative of the wider population.

The proportion of women, LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities, and disabled people, has increased, aligning with broader trends across STEM and the general population. However, under-representation persists, especially for women, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and Black people.

• Gender: Women are under-represented (35%), particularly in industry (30%). This is an improvement since 2020, but reflects wider trends among STEM students and graduates.
• Gender: Trans people make up about 1% of the sector, on par with estimates for the wider population.
• Sexuality: LGBQ+ people appear to be well represented (13% vs 5% of the population at large). About two thirds say they are comfortable being open about their sexuality. Younger people are more likely to identify as LGBQ+ (32% of 18–24s vs 3% of 50–54s).
• Ethnicity: Ethnic minorities are under-represented (13% vs 18% of the population at large). Around half of Black and Asian people in the space sector are non-British nationals.
• Nationality: Foreign nationals make up a sixth of the workforce (16%) and most of these are European.
• Disability: Disabled people are under-represented (14% vs 18% in the working age population). Since 2020, the biggest increases in reported health conditions relate to social or behavioural (+19 percentage points) and mental health (+10 pp).
• Parenting and caring: 27% of space professionals currently have parenting responsibilities and 9% are carers.
• Socio-economic background: People from more advantaged socio-economic backgrounds are over-represented, with the proportion of privately educated people just under twice the national average (13% in space vs 8% of 14 year-olds in England).
• Religion: Space is significantly less religious than the country (31% vs 63% in the population at large).
• Age: The UK space workforce is a relatively young workforce, with just over a third of the workforce (37%) being under 35.

These findings will inform national policy and skills strategy, supporting efforts to make the UK space sector more inclusive, and helping employers to attract and retain a diverse talent pool.

The 2024 Space Census ran from March to May 2024 and was carried out via an online survey that gathered data on demographics, career paths, experiences of discrimination, and more. Further reports will be released exploring additional aspects of the Census results in greater depth.

The full report is available at spaceskills.org/census-2024-demographics.