datazone boundaries for stirling (scottish government 2022) - open data

The Scottish Government published updated versions of Data Zones and Intermediate Zones (December 2024). Data Zones and Intermediate Zones have been updated to reflect changes to population and other geographical boundaries since they were last revised in 2014 following the 2011 Census. In particular, the proposed changes have been produced to align with new population data from the 2022 Census. Data Zones are the key geography for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland and are widely used across the public sector. Composed of groups of Census Output Areas, Data Zones are large enough that statistics can be presented accurately without fear of disclosure and yet small enough that they can be used to represent communities. They are designed to have roughly standard populations of 500 to 1,000 household residents, nest within local authorities (at the time of the Census), and have compact shapes that respect physical boundaries where possible. When Data Zones were originally created for the 2001 Census, they were designed to contain households with similar social characteristics. Aggregations of Data Zones can be used to provide estimates for higher level geographies where official statistics might not otherwise be available. Data Zones also represent a relatively stable geography that can be used to analyse change over time, with changes only occurring after a Census. Following the update to Data Zones using 2022 Census data, there are now 7,392 Data Zones covering the whole of Scotland. What are Data Zones and Intermediate Zones? Data Zones are statistical geographies used to produce small area statistics at a local level. They are designed to have a population of between 500 and 1,000 people, making them small enough to describe communities while also being large enough to avoid disclosing personal information. They serve two main functions in the production of official statistics. Firstly, they provide a standard, stable geography for the production and publication of statistics at a local area on a wide range of topics. Secondly, aggregations of Data Zones can be used to provide estimates for higher level geographies where official statistics might not otherwise be available. Intermediate Zones are similar to Data Zones but cover a larger population and area. They are used to produce local area statistics where statistics cannot be published at Data Zone level due to the risk of disclosing sensitive information. How Data Zones and Intermediate Zones will be used The revised Data Zones boundaries have been published on the Scottish Government’s spatial data platform and are now available for use by statistics producers. * Data Zone Boundaries * Data Zone Centroids * Intermediate Zone Boundaries * Intermediate Zone Centroids A csv geography lookup table aggregating from 2022 Data Zones to higher level geographies is available on statistics.gov.scot. Census data for the new Data Zones and Intermediate Zones will be published in 2025. A lookup file that links Census Output Areas to Data Zones and Intermediate Zones has been published by National Records of Scotland. If you have any questions about Data Zones and Intermediate Zones please contact statistics.enquiries@gov.scot. [Statistics Updates to Data Zones and Intermediate Zones now published - Statistics]