Small Area Population Estimates for the United Kingdom, 1991

Even after imputation of missing households, the UK’s 1991 Census counts were lower than expected. In the 1990s, the ESRC-funded Estimating with Confidence project (EwC) distributed official non-response data for local authority districts on a small area-specific basis to allow for under-enumeration, timing changes between census day and the mid-year, armed forces adjustments and the transfer of students from home to term-time addresses. The EwC-enhanced census counts became accepted as the ‘gold standard’ for mid-1991 small area populations and have been widely used in academic and government research.<br> <br> Following the 2001 Census, evidence suggested that previous official upward adjustments to 1991 populations were too large. Revisions were retrospectively made to 1991 non-response in England, Wales and Scotland (GB) and to the official annual time-series of local authority (LA) mid-year population estimates.<br> <br> Since data for previous populations are needed for sub-district small areas, this project has revised the original EwC non-response allowances (for small areas across GB) and converted the output to more contemporary geographies (for all of UK including Northern Ireland). As a result, the 1991 EwC small area estimates are now consistent and comparable with the 2001 Census population definition and geography and the 1981-2001 official population time-series at LA level across the whole of the UK.<br> <br> These revised UK-coverage small area population estimates resource will underpin late 20th Century local area social analyses of changes in populations and, for example, changes in health and unemployment rates.<br> <br> Further information can be found on the <a href="http://www.esrcsocietytoday/esrcinfocentre/viewawardpage.aspx?awardnumber=RES-163-25-0012" title ="ESRC Award">ESRC Award</a> web page.<br>