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Census 2001 - Migrants and Commuters

The Registrar General for Scotland has today released data from the 2001 Census, showing the origin and destination of migrants and people who travel to work or study.

The data is for flows from postcode sector to postcode sector and contains information on flows of migration and of travel to place of work/study for people who were resident in Scotland at Census time. Customers who wish to analyse the data can do so either by:

1. Obtaining the data on CD by contacting Statistics Customer Services using our Contact Form; or by
2. Contacting an intermediary who may, for a charge, be able to provide versions of the data more tailored to individual users' requirements ( www.saspac.org or www.census.ac.uk/cids/).

Origin-destination data, covering the UK as a whole, has already been made available for flows between Census output areas and flows between wards. Data on local authority level flows and on migration flows for moving groups will be released later this year.

The postcode sector level data is the third phase of the 2001 Census origin-destination statistics to be made available. The data is for flows between postcode sectors and only covers people living in Scotland at the time of the 2001 Census.

There are three standard products available with the origin-destination statistics:

• Special Migration Statistics (SMS) - this is a UK product based on respondents' address one year before the Census.
• Special Travel Statistics (STS) - this is a Scotland only product which is based on journeys to work or study.
• Special Workplace Statistics (SWS) - this product is produced for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is based on journeys to work.

Each of the three products is produced at Census output area level, ward level and local authority level. In addition, for Scottish data only, SMS and STS are available at postcode sector level.

The first and second phases of the origin-destination statistics - flows at Census output area and ward level - have already been released, on 7 May and 15 July respectively.

The origin-destination data files which have been released, have been sent to two intermediaries who can, for a charge, provide versions of the data that may be more tailored to individual users' requirements than products obtained directly from the Census Offices. These intermediaries are:

• The Greater London Authority who manage the software package SASPAC (www.saspac.org).
• The Census Interaction Data Service (CIDS) who operate the WICID (Web Interface to Census Interaction Data) system.

The remaining phases of the origin-destination statistics product are planned for release as follows:

• Local authority level tables for migration (excluding moving groups tables), travel and workplace - mid-September 2004.
• Ward, postcode sector and local authority level migration tables for moving groups - late October 2004.

Migrants are assigned to the same moving group if they belonged to the same household at the time of the Census and they each had the same UK postcode one year previously or, if they moved from abroad, lived in the same country one year previously.

Information on the tables for which origin-destination data is being provided is available from the Office for National Statistics.

Enquiries
For further information on the availability of origin-destination data, please contact Statistics Customer Services using our Contact Form.