NRS Social Grade
The NRS Social Grades are a classification scheme developed in the 1960s by the UK National Readership Survey for grouping readers . Since then it has developed into a standard for socio-demographic studies in Great Britain and is mainly used by media companies , publishers and in the advertising industry for the analysis and precise addressing of target groups (audience profiling and audience targeting). The social grades are therefore a criterion when making decisions about marketing measures .
The classification is based on the occupation of the higher earner (chief income earner) of the household examined . The grades are often grouped together in ABC1 and C2DE to separate the middle class from the working class. The approx. 1 to 2% of the British population who belong to the upper class are not taken into account in the classification scheme.
| Degree | Social class | Occupation or career level of the higher earner of the household examined | Percentage of the UK population (NRS 2016) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Upper middle class | Senior manager, administrative or specialist | 4% |
| B. | Middle class | Middle managerial, administrative or professional | 23% |
| C1 | Lower Middle Class | Lower managerial, administrative or professional | 28% |
| C2 | Skilled working class | Trained skilled workers | 20% |
| D. | Working class | Semi-skilled and unskilled workers | 15% |
| E. | People at the lowest level of livelihood | Low wage earners, pensioners and other people who depend on support from the welfare state | 10% |
Web links
- NRS Social Grade (English)
- Demographics Classifications (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Social Grade - A Classification Tool ( Memento of the original dated November 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at ipsos-mori.com, accessed September 8, 2012
