Social Grade definition / Social Class definition:

Social Grade: A  Approximately 3% of the total population.

These are professional people, very senior managers in business or commerce or top-level civil servants. Retired people, previously social grade A, and their widows.

Social Grade: B Approximately 20% of the total population

Middle management executives in large organisations, with appropriate qualifications.  Principle officers in local government and civil service.  Top management or owners of small business concerns, educational and service establishments.  Retired people, previously social grade B, and their widows.

Social Grade: C1 Approximately 28% of the total population.

Junior management, owners of small establishments, and all others in non-manual positions.  Jobs in this group have very varied responsibilities and educational requirements.

Retired people, previously social grade C1, and their widows.

Social Grade: C2 Approximately 21% of the total population.

All skilled manual workers, and those manual workers with responsibility for other people.

Retired people, previously social grade C2, with pensions from their job.

Widows, if receiving pensions from their late husband's job.

Social Grade: D Approximately 18% of the total population.

All semi-skilled and un-skilled manual workers, apprentices and trainees to skilled workers.

Retired people, previously grade D, with pensions from their job.

Widows, if receiving a pension from their late husband's job.

Social Grade: E Approximately 10% of the total population.

All those entirely dependant on the state long-term, through sickness, unemployment, old age or other reasons. Those unemployed for a period exceeding six months.  Casual workers and those without a regular income. Only households without a Chief Income Earner will be coded in this group.