Data zones are the key geography for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland and are widely used across the public and private sector. Composed of aggregates 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 were designed to have roughly standard populations of 500 to 1,000 household residents, nest within Local Authorities (at the time of the 2001 Census), have compact shapes that respect physical boundaries where possible, and to contain households with similar social characteristics. Aggregations of data zones are often used to approximate a larger area of interest or a higher level geography that statistics wouldn’t normally be available for. Data zones also represent a relatively stable geography that can be used to analyse change over time, with changes only occurring after a Census. Data Zones were first created following the 2001 Census, with 6,505 data zones covering the whole of Scotland. This dataset was superseded by 2011 Data Zones created following the 2011 Census.
