Intermediate zone centroids are point features that represent the population weighted centre of intermediate zones – the geography used for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland when results are unsuitable for release at data zone level. These centroids are used to link intermediate zones to other (higher level) geographies and produce a 'best-fit' match. Intermediate zones can then be aggregated to approximate this larger area of interest or higher level geography that statistics wouldn’t normally be available for. Intermediate 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 intermediate zones using 2011 Census data, there are now 1,279 intermediate zones covering the whole of Scotland.
