• Metadata catalogue
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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.

 
Citation proposal
(2003) . Census Output Areas 2001. Scottish Government https://services.mspdata.eu:/geonetwork/srv/api/records/a895f01c-8fa4-4c32-83a6-93c5fede3d7f

Simple

Alternate title
Date ( Creation )
2003-02-13
Date ( Publication )
2003-02-13
Identifier
www.nrscotland.gov.uk / OutputArea2001

  Owner

National Records of Scotland  
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road Edinburgh Scotland EH12 7TF United Kingdom

  Distributor

National Records of Scotland  
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road Edinburgh Scotland EH12 7TF United Kingdom

  Publisher

Scottish Government - (Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team (GI-SAT), Digital Public Services, DG Enterprise, Environment and Digital )  
Victoria Quay Edinburgh Scotland EH6 6QQ United Kingdom

Maintenance and update frequency
asNeeded As needed
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 ( Theme )
  • Statistical units
Use limitation
No conditions apply
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
License
Distance
0.000125  urn:ogc:def:uom:EPSG::9001
Denominator
10000
Metadata language
eng English
Topic category
  • Boundaries
N
S
E
W


Supplemental Information
Reference system identifier
EPSG / OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700) / 7.4
Distribution format
  • Shapefile (ARCGIS 10 )

  • WMS (1.3.0 )

OnLine resource
National Records of Scotland website  

Geography – 2001 Census Boundaries

Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Statement

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.

Metadata

File identifier
a895f01c-8fa4-4c32-83a6-93c5fede3d7f   XML
Metadata language
eng English
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Date stamp
2018-02-22
Metadata standard name
ISO 19115:2003/19139
Metadata standard version
1.0

  Point of contact

National Records of Scotland  
Ladywell House, Ladywell Road Edinburgh Scotland EH12 7TF United Kingdom

 
 

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