Introduction
The Area Master File is a large look up table relating the four levels of Census geography in England and Wales (counties, districts, wards and EDs) to other statistical, administrative, electoral, postal and morphological spatial units.
The Scottish Output Area/Higher Area Index is the Scottish equivalent of the Area Master File.
Getting the data
Access to the data is by the use of Athens userids and is available free of charge to all staff and students at UK higher and further education establishments. For more information on accessing Census resources in the ESRC Census of Population Programme take a look at http://census.ac.uk/
Access to the 1991 Scottish Output Area to Higher Area Index also requires sign-up to the 1991 Scottish DBD Special Condition
Related Data download area with UK Federation authentication
1991 Area Master File
File Specification for the 1991 Area Master File
County level
1 Record type =1 for county 2-3 County code 4-9 Blank 10-11 Region code 12-13 Local govt. district code 14-16 LLAREACT (number of districts in county) 17-23 Area in hectares 24-80 County name
District level
1 Record type =2 for district 2-3 County code 4-5 Local govt. district code 6-9 Blank 10-11 RSD code 12-14 LLAREACT (number of wards in district) 15-21 Area in hectares 22-80 District name
Ward level
1 Record type =3 for ward 2-3 County code 4-5 Local govt. district code 6-7 Ward code 8-9 Blank 10-12 No. of EDs in ward 13-19 Area in hectares 20-74 Ward name 75-80 Statswar code
ED level
1 Record type =4 for ED 2-3 County code 4-5 Local govt. district code 6-7 Ward code 8-9 ED code 10-15 ED code in 1981 16-25 Centroid grid reference 26 ED type (1 - Standard 2 - Special 3 - Shipping) 27-35 Number of private households in ED 36-44 Number of persons in ED 45-46 New town 47 Regional Health Authority 48-50 District Health Authority 51-55 Parish 56-57 Central Statistical Area 58-59 National Park 60-64 County electoral ward 65-67 Parliamentary constituency 68-69 Urban Development Corporation 70-71 Housing Action Trust 72-73 European Constituency 74-80 Urban Area (see the 'Urban and Rural Area Codes' below) 81-83 FHSA code 84-87 New regional subdivisions
Urban and Rural Area Codes
A file of the codes for urban and rural areas used in the ED level records of the Area Master File is available.
Download urban and rural area codes
1991 Scottish Output Area to Higher Area Index
Master Specification for the Scottish OA-HA
Column(s) Example*
Local Government Region (1-2) 01
Local Government District (3-4) 01
Pseudo Postcode Sector (5-9) TD106
Health Board Area (10-11) 06
Regional Electoral Division (12-13) 03
District Ward (14) 3
New Town (15-16) 00
Civil Parish (17-20) 0116
Inhabited Island (21-24) ....
Urban-Rural Classification 1981 (25) 5
Locality, 1981 (26-30) 01008
Output Area (31-37) 01AE01A
Urban/Rural Classification
When localities have been finalised each (and the postcodes in it) is assigned to one of 6 categories of an urban/rural classification as follows:
1. Part of a continuous block of localities with 1,000,000 or more residents
2. Part of a continuous block of localities with 100,000-999,999 residents
3. Part of a continuous block of localities with 10,000-99,999 residents
4. Part of a continuous block of localities with 1,000-9,999 residents
5. Part of a continuous block of localities with fewer than 1,000 residents (i.e. 500-999 residents)
6. Not in a locality
For this classification a continuous block contains one or more localities. This definition is the same as that used for the 1981 Census except that categories 5 and 6 above were combined.
