Rural Urban
Classification
The 2021 RUC is
a statistical classification to provide a consistent and standardised method
for classifying geographies as rural or urban. This is based on address
density, physical settlement form, population size, and Relative Access to
Major towns and cities (populations of over 75,000 people). The classification
is produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with advice from the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh
Government and colleagues from the Government Geography Profession (GGP).
This is the 2021
rural-urban classification (RUC) of the 2021 Local Authority Districts in
England and Wales. This means that the 2021 RUC methodology has been applied to
the 2021 LAD boundaries. LAD classifications are divided into four categories
based on their populations:
<!--1. Majority
Rural: had at least 50% of their population residing in Rural OAs.
<!--2. Intermediate
Rural: 35-50% rural population
<!--3. Intermediate
Urban: 20-35% rural population
<!--4. Urban:
20% or less of the population live in rural OAs.
Each 2021 LAD
category is split into one of two Relative Access categories, using the same
data as the 2021 Output Area RUC. If more than 50% of a LAD population lives in
‘nearer to a major town or city’ OAs, it is deemed ‘nearer a major town or city’;
otherwise, it is classified as ‘further from a major town or city.
Where data is unavailable for Super Output Area geographies, it may be
appropriate for users to undertake analysis at the LAD level. At this level, the categorisation works slightly differently in that
most areas will include a mix of both rural and urban areas - so the LAD RUC
categorisation is a reflection of this. A statistical geography may contain substantial portions of open
countryside but still be given an ‘Urban’ classification if the majority of the
population within the area live in settlements that are urban in nature. Users
should take this into consideration to ensure correct interpretations of any
analysis of RUC LAD categories