Comparison of the five logical groupings of respondents from the 2003 survey
Only 66 respondents to the 2003 survey also answered both of the earlier surveys: a core group of people who have answered all three postal surveys. Their demographic profile was 37 men and 28 with the largest age group 60+ years, 78%. Only 9% had never been married and of those who had been married, 12% had been married to non-Zoroastrians with one of these people married to an Indian Sikh and the remainder to people of European descent. Sixty four per cent had extended families in Europe, 21% nuclear families and 15% did not respond to this question. In terms of education, 29% had undergraduate degrees with 37% having postgraduate qualifications with 26% having had a scientific education.
The majority, 47%, were retired in 2003, leaving 23% in professional occupations, 12% business or semi-professional, 12% white collar and 3% blue collar. They affirm the questions relating to the religious beliefs and practices of Zoroastrianism, and they also affirm the question relating to intermarriage (74% accept with 24% objecting) but are divided about the question regarding conversion of non-Zoroastrians (48% in favour with 44% against conversion: Table 13 ‘Demography: Comparison of the five groups of respondents’ and table 14, ‘Religious Questions: Comparison of the five groups of respondents’. Of the five groups analysed in these tables, the respondents who took part in both the 1976 and 1985 surveys have, on average, the highest per cent affirmation for religious practices and beliefs questions and low affirmation for the questions relating to the symbolic boundaries of Zoroastrianism.