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SCOTTISH INDEX OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION 2004: TECHNICAL REPORT
Chapter 2 : Geography
The SIMD 2004 is a measure of relative deprivation at small area (data zone) 11 level. In previous indices there has been a compromise between size of geography and how up to date the data is. Typically the Census has been the source of small area data. However, the Census is only updated every ten years and where more recent measures have been produced in non-Census years this has necessarily compromised the geographic unit. Whilst measures based on the 1991 Census were available at Output Area or Enumeration District 12, those produced using non-Census data in 1998 and the 2003 SID were only available at postcode sector and wards respectively 13.
The new data zone geography became available in early 2004 meaning that it was not possible for the SID 2003 to be presented at this level. Therefore the use of data zones in the SIMD 2004 has been a significant advance, bringing together a small area geographic unit and increasing amounts of non-Census data.
The Executive developed this small area geography over the last couple of years, including a wide consultation with users. The main reasons for developing this new geography were
- to enable users of Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics to access statistics across a number of policy areas to be readily (and regularly) available on a consistent geography,
- to allow the SIMD 2004 to have a consistent and comprehensive small area geography that would enable small pockets of deprivation to be identified, and
- to provide a common geography to allow aggregated data to be shared and disseminated across the public sector.
The publication of the data zones is a significant milestone in the Scottish Executive and other users' ability to monitor and develop policy at a small area level. Through Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics and the SIMD 2004, data zones will increasingly be the core geography for making available small area statistics across most policy areas including information about benefits, education, health and the labour market. This will allow users to readily bring together information from various sources on a common geography. The SIMD 2004 is a prime example of this functionality.
The data zone geography covers the whole of Scotland and nests within local authority boundaries. Data zones are groups of Census output areas which have populations of between 500 and 1,000 household residents, and some effort has been made to respect physical boundaries. Each data zone is likely to exhibit substantially more homogeneity across the constituent population and households in respect of their socio-economic characteristics than larger geographies such as postcode sectors or wards. This means that the level of deprivation in a data zone is likely to be more similar across the board than in those larger geographies which may contain groups with varying degrees of deprivation. Since the SIMD 2004 is intended to identify concentrations of area deprivation, this is a particular benefit.
The use of this small area geography in SIMD 2004 enables users to compare relative deprivation at a small area level across Scotland. It also helps to identify 'pockets' of deprivation that may previously have been missed in analyses based on postcode sectors or wards. It will also allow the greater focusing of area based policy initiatives and service delivery strategies.
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