Neighbourhood Statistics: User Guide
Main Content
Specific guidance for accessing Census data
Neighbourhood Statistics holds data from the 2001 Census and the 2011 Census.
2011 Census Data
Data from the 2011 Census was published via Neighbourhood Statistics early in 2013. To identify which part of the Neighbourhood Statistics site is most suitable for your data needs, please see the 2011 Census Guidance.
Finding Census data
Census datasets are available both within their own 'domain' and also within the other domains where relevant.. i.e. a census table for Accomodation Type will be available from within the census domain and also from within the Housing domain.
Clicking on 'Census' opens this category to show the sub-categories of census data.
An alternative way to locate census information is to use the search facility. Entering a term of interest, such as 'health' will detail the datasets relevant to that search term. If you know the reference code for a dataset (such as 'KS07' for the Key Statistics table on religion), this can be entered to quickly locate the dataset.
More general help on navigating through tables and performing other functions is available in the User Guide.
Different ways to access Census data and the ability to view areas on a map
As with other information from other sources, census data can be accessed in a variety of ways.
The 'Topics' route allows access to pre-defined datasets, and shows the variables within them for all geographies.
To choose specific areas of interest and/or to view data from different datasets alongside each other in a single table, you should use the 'Customised Tables, Charts and Maps' route.
You then have the choice to pick areas first (from a list, using a map, or creating your own area), or to choose topics first. Choosing by topic first, is the same process as described above, and selecting areas first is fully explained in the main sections of the User Guide.
With specific relevance to Census data it is acknowledged that it is important to be able to view an area on a map when making decisions about which areas to select - particularly when looking at data for low geographical areas such as Super Output Areas and Output Areas.
When selecting areas from a list, a map of the area can be viewed by clicking on the 
button next to the area name.
That will open a pop-up which explains the context of that area (i.e. which higher geographical areas that area sits within)..
..and also the opportunity to view that area on a map, by clicking on 'View map'..
.. where the normal map options are available to zoom in and out, or 'pan' the map to see neighbouring areas.
Once in the area list, you can also change your mind, and opt to choose areas by using the map instead by clicking on 'select areas by map' at the bottom of the screen. Likewise if you have gone through the 'select areas by map' route and change your mind, you can click on 'Select areas by list' at the bottom of the screen.
Choosing areas by map is straightforward and fully explained in the 'Select one or more areas from a map' section of the User Guide. A key point to note is that the level of geographies to be selected are chosen (as step 1) before they can be viewed on the map. To change boundaries therefore requires going back to step 1. Unfortunately, different sets of boundaries cannot be overlaid.
Other points to note about the use of Census data within Neighbourhood Statistics
Time series functionality is not always available for census data due to changes in geographies between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses, please see here for details. The boundaries shown on a map are relevant to the choice of geography made earlier in the process. To change from one set of boundaries to another (e.g. from Super Output Areas to Health Areas), you must use the 'Back' button to return to the geography hierarchy list and choose the health geography hierarchy. Use the 'Next' button to return to the map.
