Annex 1: Outputs of the Classification

The following boundaries, datasets, maps, and look-ups are produced as outputs of the Scottish Government Urban Rural (SGUR) Classification.  All outputs are available as supporting documents.

• SGUR 2022 boundaries
• Printable maps of the 2-, 3-, 6- and 8-fold SGUR 2022
• SGUR 2022 code descriptions
• Postcode 2024_2 to SGUR 2022 lookup
• Census 2022 Output Area to SGUR 2022 lookup
• Data Zone 2022 to SGUR 2022 lookup
• Settlements 2022 to SGUR 2022 lookup
• Population tables
• Land Area tables

Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification (SGUR) 2022 boundaries

Digital boundaries of the Urban Rural Classification are created and supplied in ESRI shapefile (.shp) format.  The dataset has full coverage for Scotland and is clipped to the Ordnance Survey (OS) Mean High Water coastline.  Fields included in the shapefile are listed below:

UR2FOLD: 2-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR3FOLD: 3-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR6FOLD: 6-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR8FOLD: 8-fold Urban Rural Classification

The shapefile can be accessed from urban rural classification record on the SpatialData.gov.scot website.

Printable Maps of the 2-, 3-, 6- and 8-fold SGUR 2022

Static maps of the classification are produced at A4 size.  There are maps showing the 2-, 3-, 6- and 8-fold classifications, both with and without OS background mapping.  Maps are available in Portable Document File (.pdf) format.

SGUR 2022 code descriptions

Two look-ups are also produced detailing the categories of the classification, one for the 6-fold and another for the 8-fold version.  The class code is given, along with the name of the category and a detailed text description.  Fields included in the look-ups are listed below:

URCLASS: 6 or 8-fold Urban Rural Class

URNAME: 6 or 8-fold Urban Rural Class Name

URDESC: 6 or 8-fold Urban Rural Class Description

Postcode 2024_2 to SGUR 2022 lookup

The postcode to SGUR lookup shows the geographic relationship between 2024_2 postcode centroids and the SGUR 2022.  Fields included in the index are listed below:

POSTCODE: Small and large user postcode units, both current and deleted

INT_DATE: Date that the postcode came into use

DEL_DATE: Date that the postcode was removed from use

TYPE: Whether the postcode is a larger user, and if it is split

LINKPC: Linked Small User Postcode

SPLIT_IND: Split Indicator

CA_CODE: Council area S-code

UR2FOLD: 2-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR3FOLD: 3-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR6FOLD: 6-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR8FOLD: 8-fold Urban Rural Classification

The lookup includes both current and deleted postcodes to allow deleted postcodes to be classified and used in any subsequent analysis.

The TYPE field identifies whether the postcode is a small user, large user, and if it is split.  The TYPE field uses the following codes:

0 = Small user postcode

A = Split small user postcode

L = Large user postcode matched with small user postcode – no split area

Z = Large user postcode matched with a split small user postcode

Large user postcodes are those postcodes that receive more than 50 mail items per day.  All Large users postcodes are allocated linked small user postcodes. 

A split postcode occurs when a postcode straddles two or more Local Authority boundaries, or when a postcode straddles the Scottish/English border, or where an island shares a postcode with the mainland or another island.  The most populous part is identified by suffix A and the smaller parts by suffixes B, C etc.  Split postcodes have been stripped out of the Urban Rural Classification Index and only the largest part (in terms of households, identified by an ‘A’) is included in the index.  For large user postcodes which have a split small user linked postcode, the ‘A’ part of the split should be used to determine the relevant urban rural classification.

Please note; the Postcode 2024_2 to SGUR_2022 lookup will only be available as a supporting document temporarily.  This is due to a new release of NRS Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) which will be published in early 2025.  If the Postcode 2024_2 to SGUR_2022 lookup is not available as a supporting document, users are advised to access the latest SPD from the NRS website, which will have a postcode to SGUR 2022 lookup incorporated.

Census 2022 Output Area to SGUR 2022 lookup

The Output Area to SGUR lookup shows the relationship between the Census Output Area 2022 population weighted centroids and SGUR 2022.  Fields included in the index are listed below:

OUTPUTAREA: Census Output Area code

UR2FOLD: 2-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR3FOLD: 3-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR6FOLD: 6-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR8FOLD: 8-fold Urban Rural Classification

Data Zone 2022 to SGUR 2022 lookup

The Data Zone to SGUR lookup shows the relationship between Data Zones 2022 population weighted centroids and SGUR 2022.  Fields included in the index are listed below:

DZ_CODE: Data Zone code

UR2FOLD: 2-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR3FOLD: 3-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR6FOLD: 6-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR8FOLD: 8-fold Urban Rural Classification

Census Settlements 2022 to SGUR 2022 lookup

The Census Settlements to SGUR lookup shows the relationship between Census Settlements 2022 population weighted centroids and SGUR 2022, and includes the population estimates for Settlements.  Fields included in the index are listed below:

SETT_CODE: Settlement code

SETT_NAME: Settlement Name

POPEST2022: Census 2022 Total Population

POP_CLASS: Population Class Name (i.e. Large Urban Areas, etc)

UR2FOLD: 2-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR3FOLD: 3-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR6FOLD: 6-fold Urban Rural Classification

UR8FOLD: 8-fold Urban Rural Classification

Population Tables

Percentage population estimates are provided for the 6-fold and 8-fold SGUR 2022 for Council Areas, Health Boards, Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies, Westminster Parliamentary Constituencies and Multi-Member Wards.  The population data are based on Census 2022 postcode level Usual Resident Population data, which are available from the NRS website. The data are available in an Excel spreadsheet, with a separate tab for each lookup.  Note that rows in these tables may not add up to 100 because of rounding.

Land Area tables

Land area and proportion of land area figures are available for the 2-, 3-, 6- and 8-fold classifications.  The figures give the area to mean high water, excluding areas of inland water larger than 1km2, based on building the SGUR2022 categories from Census Output Areas 2022 (i.e. using the Census 2022 Output Area Lookup file).