Small area statistics
Information about the production of small area statistics in Scotland.
Introduction
Small area statistics in Scotland are normally disseminated using the Data Zone geography.
Data Zones
Data Zones are the key geography used for producing small area statistics in Scotland. They were first made available for use in 2004 following the publication of results from the 2001 Census and were produced to promote the production of local area statistics. They were revised in 2014 following the 2011 Census, and again in 2024 following the release of 2022 Census results.
Data Zones serve two key functions in the production of statistics. Firstly, they provide a standard, stable geography that can be used to publish statistics at a local level across a wide range of topics. They are designed to be large enough that statistics can be presented accurately without fear of disclosure or personal information. They are also designed to be small enough that they can be used to represent communities.
Secondly, Data Zones are used as a building block to construct statistics for higher geographies. Aggregations of Data Zones are often used to approximate larger areas or geographies where statistics which might not otherwise be available.
The use of Data Zones as statistical building blocks supports the implementation of the Government Statistical Service Geography Policy. For example, this policy states that statistics for all geographies should be built by first recording information at ‘building block’ level and then ‘best-fitting’ these building blocks to higher geographies, rather than recording or assigning information at a higher level directly. In Scotland, Data Zones, as well as Census Output Areas and Intermediate Zones, are the designated statistical building blocks under this policy.
Data Zones are built by combining Census Output Areas and have been designed to satisfy a number of constraints. These are:
- They nest within local authority boundaries (at the time of the Census).
- Maintain approximately equal household resident populations of 500 to 1,000 people, with an absolute minimum of 375 people and a maximum pop.ulation of 1,125.
- Be a continuous area without multiple extents (based on the Extent of the Realm coastline), unless caused by water (e.g. Data Zones including islands).
- Maintain a compactness of shape.
In practice it is impossible to satisfy all these criteria, so Data Zones must find a compromise between these criteria.
Following the 2024 revision there are now 7,392 Data Zones in Scotland.
Intermediate Zones
Intermediate Zones are similar to Data Zones but cover a larger population and area. They are created by combining Data Zones to produce areas with a population of between 2,500 and 6,000, with an absolute minimum of 2,125 people and a maximum population of 6,375. As for Data Zones, Intermediate Zones are designed so that they nest exactly into local authority boundaries at the time of the Census.
Intermediate Zones are intended to be used to produce local area statistics where statistics cannot be published at Data Zone level due to the risk of disclosing sensitive information. The larger population of Intermediate Zones means that statistics are less likely to require disclosure control.
Following the 2024 revision there are now 1,334 Intermediate Zones in Scotland.
Boundaries
The boundary files and centroids are available from the spatialdata.gov.scot portal.
Lookups
A csv geography lookup table aggregating from 2022 Data Zones to higher level geographies is available on statistics.gov.scot.
The Scottish Postcode Directory will include the 2022 Data Zones and Intermediate Zones from release 2025_1 onward.
A 2022 Output Area to Data Zone and Intermediate Zone lookup is available on the National Records of Scotland website.
Supporting materials
Additional background information on Data Zones and Intermediate Zones can be found on the Small area statistics: reference materials page.
Small area statisitcs
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