Diversity and Inclusion in Economics in United Kingdom Higher Education

The Equality Act of 2010 provides a legal framework promoting diversity and equity within UK higher education. The Act aims to eliminate unlawful discrimination and ensure fairness, equity, and inclusivity in the United Kingdom. However, several studies have revealed discrimination and a lack of diversity in UK higher education. This study examined the state of diversity and inclusion in the field of economics in UK universities, a discipline highly influential in global policy formulation, using secondary data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The importance of having a diversified economics profession cannot be overemphasized. Greater diversity in economics provides opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to contribute new and innovative ideas to tackle the ever-changing challenges facing the economy and society. The findings from this study however show that that economics lacks diversity relative to other disciplines such as Law, Art and humanities, languages, management, and social sciences. The field of study is still male-dominated, and the BAEM groups and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are also underrepresented. This paper therefore aligned with the call for a targeted mentorship programme for the underrepresented groups in economics, decolonisation and internationalisation of economics curriculum, broadened and inclusive admission policies for economics, and stronger collaboration with specific organisation hiring economics graduates to organise industry-specific workshops on practical industry-relevant skills.