NRS Social Grading Criteria

Socio-economic Groupings

Developed in the 70's as part of the Nation Readership Survey, created to establish the demographics. The NRS critera was based on social and economic circumstances. This is still applied in mass media today, although it is a really OUT-DATED model.

• Class A - Higher Managerial Profression workers e.g. Civil servant (works for the governement e.g. MP)
• Class B - Intermediate managerial, administrative or profressional e.g. Dentist
• Class C1 - Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional e.g. a secretary

ABC1 are often grouped to equate to the middle classes

• Class C2 -  Skilled manual worker e.g. Engineer
• Class D - Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers e.g. Tesco employee
• Class E - Unemployed, pensioners and people who depend on the welfare state for their income (Benefits)

C2DE are often grouped to equate to the working class

Only 2% of the UK population idenitifies as 'upper class', their not included in this classification scheme