Developments in census and neighbourhood statistics

Understanding the social characteristics of local neighbourhoods has long been of interest to geographers, but gaining access to detailed local data in the UK has often been difficult. The 2001 UK censuses have combined with a new government emphasis on small-area based policies aimed at neighbourhood renewal to bring about major innovations in neighbourhood data and the ease with which they may be accessed.

Professor David Martin of the University of Southampton and coordinator of the ESRC/JISC 2001 census programme reviews these developments in the article below.

Ideas for teaching about census and neighbourhood

• Draw a map of your neighbourhood and think about the social characteristics that make it special. Use the census organisations’ websites to compare your local area with the country as a whole.
• Use the interactive mapping options on the statistical organisations’ websites to produce a map of your city or region and then use an Ordnance Survey map to understand which neighbourhoods are most similar or different to your own.

Other information

The Social Exclusion Unit website includes links to all the relevant policy documents on neighbourhood renewal.

The England and Wales neighbourhood statistics website provides access to government statistics and 2001 census results down to the level of output areas (mean 125 households), including simple online mapping.

The census education pages on the Office for National Statistics website, include the international CensusAtSchool project.

The Scotland’s census results online (SCROL) website provides census data for Scotland.

The Scottish schools census 2001 project website is designed to encourage schools to learn about the census and make use of past and present census results.

The Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service (www.ninis.gov.uk) includes links to the 2001 census.

The 2001 census programme website, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council/Joint Information Systems Committee, contains links to national census organisations and specialised data support units.