The National Population Database (NPD) is a point-based Geographical Information System (GIS) dataset that combines locational information from providers like the Ordnance Survey with population information about those locations, mainly sourced from Government statistics. The points (and sometimes polygons) represent individual buildings, so the NPD allows detailed local analysis for anywhere in Great Britain.
The Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) working with Staffordshire University originally created the NPD in 2004 to help its parent organisation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), assess the risks to society of major hazard sites e.g. oil refineries, chemical works and gas holders. Of particular interest to HSE were 'sensitive' populations e.g. schools and hospitals where the people at those locations may be more vulnerable to harm and potentially harder to evacuate in an emergency. The data is split into 5 themes: residential, sensitive populations, transport, workplaces and leisure.
More information about the NPD can be found here:https://www.hsl.gov.uk/what-we-do/data-analytics/national-population-database
The NPD was created using various datasets available within Government as part of the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) and contains other intellectual property so is only available under license and for a fee. Please contact the HSL GIS Team if you would like to discuss gaining access to the sample or full dataset.
