Statistical wards, Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards and Standard Table (ST) wards

I've been told that National Statistics outputs will use statistical wards in future. What exactly are they?

Statistical wards have been introduced to minimise the statistical problems caused by frequent electoral ward boundary changes. From now on a set of statistical wards will be introduced each April and will be applied to all statistics for a full 12 month period, regardless of any electoral ward boundary changes occurring on the ground.

Although based on electoral wards, statistical wards also take future boundary changes into account and so do not always reflect the actual wards in a local authority at any point in time.

Full explanation of statistical wards, including access to statistical ward names and codes lists.

I'm using the Neighbourhood Statistics (NeSS) website to get data on 2003 wards, but my ward seems to have disappeared completely. Where is it!

The NeSS site actually uses a set of wards known as Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards. These are based on the 2003 statistical ward set (see above), but in addition 18 particularly small wards (those with fewer than 100 people or 40 households) have been merged with neighbouring wards to protect data confidentiality. Further information on both statistical and CAS wards.

So if your ward is missing from NeSS it is either because it is not a 2003 statistical ward or because it is too small for the secure release of data.

And what are Standard Table (ST) wards?

Some Census data are still not confidential when released for CAS wards. Census Standard Tables therefore use another set of wards known as Standard Table (ST) wards. These are also based on the 2003 statistical ward set, but this time a total of 113 wards (those with fewer than 1000 residents or 400 households) have been merged. Further information on ST wards.

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This page last revised: Friday, 10 September 2004