Census 2001 - Output Areas

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.

Default

Identification info

Metadata Language
English
Character set
UTF8
Dataset Reference Date (Creation)
2003-02-13
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2003-02-13
Identifier
www.nrscotland.gov.uk / OutputArea2001
Publisher
  National Records of Scotland - Geography
General Register House, 2 Princes Street , Edinburgh , Scotland , EH1 3YY , United Kingdom
Maintenance and update frequency
As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

  • Statistical units

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4

  • statistical data

  • census survey

IPSV Subjects List

  • Boundaries

  • Censuses
Limitations on Public Access
Other restrictions
Other constraints
No limitations to public access
Use constraints
Other restrictions
Other constraints
Open Government Licence
Spatial representation type
Vector
Denominator
10000
Topic category
  • Boundaries
Code
S92000003
N
S
E
W


Temporal reference

Temporal extent
Begin
2001
End
2001
 
Temporal extent
 
 
Code
EPSG:4258
Code
EPSG:27700

Distribution Information

Data format

Data format
Name Version

WMS

1.3.0

WFS

2.0.0

ESRI Shapefile

1.0
 

Transfer options

Resource Locator
Protocol Resource Locator Name

OGC:WMS

 		https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2001/MapServer/WMSServer?

OutputArea2001

OGC:WFS

 		https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2001/MapServer/WFSServer?

CEN2001:OutputArea2001
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20241128122812/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography/our-products/census-datasets/2001-census

National Records of Scotland website (archive)
 
 

Data quality info

Quality Scope
Dataset
Conformity
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation
Degree
false
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
English
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2025-02-11T13:28:59.234Z
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version

2.3

Point of contact

Organisation name

National Records of Scotland
Position name

Geography
Delivery point

General Register House, 2 Princes Street
City

Edinburgh
Administrative area

Scotland
Postal code

EH1 3YY
Country

United Kingdom
Electronic mail address

geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk

Role
Point of contact
Point of contact
  National Records of Scotland - Geography
General Register House, 2 Princes Street , Edinburgh , Scotland , EH1 3YY , United Kingdom
 
 
 

Overviews

N
S
E
W


Keywords

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4
census survey statistical data
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Statistical units
IPSV Subjects List
Boundaries Censuses

Publishing Body

Access the portal

Associated resources (if any)

Not available