The report on urban areas in England and Wales - the last in the series of Key Statistics from the 2001 Census - was published on 17 June, and follows comparable reports from the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. Results for urban areas meet a widespread interest in information about towns and cities, and for comparisons between urban populations and with those living outside towns. The Key Statistics series includes results from all topics covered by the Census, and is designed for quick reference and comparison, but also to provide information for studies in greater depth.

The places included in the report have upwards of 1,500 residents to the largest agglomeration - Greater London. Key Statistics for those with 20,000 or more residents are in the printed report for England and Wales, whilst results for all urban areas will appear in four further printed volumes - the North, the Midlands, the South East, and the South West and Wales [more details...]. A supplementary CD issued with the England and Wales report has the Key Statistics for all urban areas.

Key Statistics for the urban and remaining parts of each local authority and for urban areas by population size are available separately on the National Statistics website, together with the hectare and density figures for each urban area.

Which places are included
The report has information about the definition of the places included - essentially a 'bricks and mortar' approach also used in 1981 and 1991 identifying areas of urban land use of 20 hectares or more with 1,500 or more residents. This allows the dynamics of towns and cities from 1981 to 2001 to be studied, although the report contains advice on changes between the Censuses and on geographical detail which may affect comparisons.

The release of results for populations outside urban areas is for completeness and for comparison with other Census results, and 'rural' areas as such are not defined. A government working party is preparing a definition and classification of rural areas, but a final version was not available at the time the Key Statistics report went to press. Some of the smaller settlements defined as urban areas in the Key Statistics report may be included in the new definition of rural areas, but the new definition will be compatible with the report, in part through the common use of Output Areas as building bricks, and it will be possible to compile statistics from the report to fit the new definition.

In Print and on CD Details of how to order the printed report with accompanying CD [£82.00 ISBN 0 11 621743 X] are available HERE. More information about use of the CD may be found in the Frequently Asked Questions.

Electronic A CD containing the Key Statistics tables for all urban areas in either HTML/SuperTABLE or CSV format is available on request and normally without charge from Census Customer Services. A simple list of urban area names and codes, designed to help users of the CSV format CD, is downloadable HERE.

Online The printed report is available as a pdf, downloadable from the National Statistics website HERE. Excel versions of the Key Statistics for all urban areas on the CD are also available HERE. These also include a version of KS01 Usual resident population which includes hectares and population density for each urban area and sub-division. Guidance on how to find and download these pdf and Excel files, and those described below, can be found HERE. Additional results online The Key Statistics tables giving figures for the urban and remaining parts of each local authority and higher areas are available in Excel HERE. The tables are aggregates of the figures for the Output Areas recognised as part of any urban area which falls within the boundaries of each local authority and higher area as defined on 31 December 2002, together with aggregations of the Output Areas which fall outside urban areas. A local authority may have no parts which fall outside urban areas. The Key Statistics tables for urban areas by population size are available in Excel HERE. The tables present Key Statistics for aggregations of the figures falling within various population size bands for England and Wales as a whole.

Settlements with less than 1,500 residents
Key Statistics for settlements recognised as having at least 20 hectares of urban land but fewer than 1,500 residents - some 2,063 settlements in total - will be available shortly as a separate product on CD on request from Census Customer Services.

Corrections and anomalies
A small number of errors were detected at a late stage in the production of the report and CD, which were rectified as far as possible, but could not be corrected in the cases of the Helsby Urban Area in Cheshire and on the CD only for some 15 small urban areas in the South West and Wales. [More details...].

This page last revised: 01 November 2005