The traditional three classes – working, middle and upper – are no longer sufficient to contain and explain Britain's enduring obsession, according to a new survey that offers no fewer than seven categories.
The Great British Class Survey, a collaboration between the BBC and academics from six universities, used economic, social and cultural indicators rather than occupation, wealth and education to define the new classes. Researchers found theestablished model of an upper, middle and working class had fragmented to such a degree that there are now seven categories ranging from the "precariat" to the "elite".