Census Output Areas 2001
This dataset shows the 2001 Census Output Areas (OAs). OAs are the smallest geographical unit for which Census data is released, and as a result, they act as the basic “building-blocks” for the creation of other “higher” geographies, eg Datazones, council areas. The OAs are constructed by aggregating together a small number of postcodes. Because the OAs cover small areas and contain relatively small numbers of households and population (households in the range 20 to 77; population >/= 50), there is only a limited amount of Census data that can be released without infringing confidentiality. Each OA is assigned to an area in a ‘higher’ geography by first selecting one of the postcodes in the OA as a ‘master’ postcode. The OA inherits all the characteristics of the master postcode including its assignment to higher areas and its centroid grid reference. The master postcode is the postcode with the grid reference closest to the centre of the OA weighted by census household. There are 42,604 Census 2001 OAs in Scotland.
dataset
protocol: WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
name: National Records of Scotland website
description: Geography – 2001 Census Boundaries
OutputArea2001
www.nrscotland.gov.uk
eng
EPSG
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700)
boundaries
Statistical units
publication
2008-06-01
-7.75714
-0.53202
61.46459
54.53297
2001
2001
creation
2003-02-13
publication
2003-02-13
asNeeded
This dataset shows the 2001 Census Output Areas (OAs). OAs are the smallest geographical unit for which Census data is released, and as a result, they act as the basic “building-blocks” for the creation of other statistical geographies, eg Datazones, council areas. The OAs are constructed by aggregating together a small number of postcodes. Because the OAs cover small areas and contain relatively small numbers of households and population (households in the range 20 to 77; population >/= 50), there is only a limited amount of Census data that can be released without infringing confidentiality. Each OA is assigned to an area in a ‘higher’ geography by first selecting one of the postcodes in the OA as a ‘master’ postcode. The OA inherits all the characteristics of the master postcode including its assignment to higher areas and its centroid grid reference. The master postcode is the postcode with the grid reference closest to the centre of the OA weighted by census household. The dataset was created from 2001 postcode boundaries which were frozen in January 2001 for the 2001 Census. The postcode boundaries cover the entire Scottish land mass to the Mean High Water (MHW) mark. OA were created as groups of postcodes nesting as well as possible into the following areas: Council Area, 2001 locality, 1991 OA, postcode sector and 2001 electoral ward in descending order of preference, when not all postcodes in the OA belong to a single combination of these types of area. The main aim governing this order is to give continuity with the 1991 OA while ensuring as far as possible that 2001 OA fit into the locality or urban area which is seen as an increasingly important area type.
Shapefile
ARCGIS 10
No conditions apply
License
Geography
National Records of Scotland
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7TF
United Kingdom
geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
owner
Geography
National Records of Scotland
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7TF
United Kingdom
geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
distributor
Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team (GI-SAT), Digital Public Services, DG Enterprise, Environment and Digital
Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
United Kingdom
publisher
Geography
National Records of Scotland
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7TF
United Kingdom
geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
pointOfContact
2018-02-22