The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. It provides essential data for mapping and analysis—covering population, housing, economy, labor, health, and geography. For GIS users working on UK-based projects, ONS is often the first stop for reliable, granular data.
What Is the ONS?
ONS is the UK government’s main statistics body. It conducts the national census every 10 years, along with dozens of regular surveys and data programs. ONS data helps inform public policy, business decisions, academic research, and community planning. All data is free to access and openly licensed.
Key Data Types for GIS
Census Data
- Collected every 10 years (most recent in 2021).
- Offers detailed population, housing, ethnicity, religion, disability, and employment data.
- Available down to Output Area level—ideal for small-area analysis.
Population Estimates and Projections
- Annual updates between census years.
- Includes age, sex, region, and local authority breakdowns.
Economic Data
- Labour market statistics
- GDP by region
- Earnings and job sector data
- Business counts by area
Health and Mortality
- Life expectancy
- Cause of death
- Health conditions by area
Housing and Living Conditions
- Housing affordability
- Tenure types
- Overcrowding
- Energy efficiency
Geography and Boundaries
- Administrative boundaries
- Lookup tables (e.g., postcode to output area)
- Digital boundary files (shapefiles)
ONS Geography Tools
ONS provides several resources to support geographic work:
- Open Geography Portal – Download boundary shapefiles and lookup tables.
- GeoPortal – Interactive tool to explore administrative boundaries.
- GeoPackage & GeoJSON support – Available for many geography types.
- Statistical geographies – Include Output Areas (OAs), LSOAs, MSOAs, Local Authorities, and more.
These files are ready to use in GIS tools like QGIS, ArcGIS, or browser-based platforms like Atlas.
Common Use Cases in GIS
- Demographic maps – Age, ethnicity, religion, and family structure.
- Deprivation analysis – Combine ONS data with Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).
- Health maps – Chronic illness, mortality, and service access.
- Workforce planning – Map job sectors, unemployment, and earnings.
- Housing studies – Ownership, affordability, and overcrowding.
- Custom boundaries – Use ONS shapefiles for custom spatial joins.
ONS data supports both national and hyper-local analysis.
Accessing ONS Data
Most ONS data is available through:
- ONS website – ons.gov.uk
- Nomis – nomisweb.co.uk (for labor market and small-area data)
- Open Geography Portal – geoportal.statistics.gov.uk
- API – For advanced users to automate downloads and data pulls
You can search by topic, geography, or dataset. Files are usually in CSV or Excel format, with GEO codes that can be joined to shapefiles.
FAQs About ONS for GIS
What’s the smallest geography ONS offers?
The smallest standard unit is the Output Area (OA). These cover around 125 households and are great for neighborhood-level analysis. Larger units include Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) and Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs).
How often is ONS data updated?
It depends on the dataset:
- Census – Every 10 years.
- Population estimates – Annually.
- Labour market – Monthly or quarterly.
- Economic indicators – Varies by topic.
Always check the dataset’s “last updated” field.
How do I join ONS data to maps?
Most ONS datasets include a GEO code (like an OA or LSOA code).
Download the matching boundary shapefile from the Open Geography Portal and join on this code in your GIS tool.
Is postcode-level data available?
ONS doesn’t provide statistics directly by postcode. But they offer postcode lookup tables to match postcodes to OAs, LSOAs, etc.
This allows you to indirectly connect data by postcode area.
Can I use ONS data in commercial projects?
Yes. Most ONS data is licensed under the Open Government Licence. This allows free use, including for commercial purposes, with attribution.
Are historical datasets available?
Yes. ONS archives past census data, population estimates, and other time series. You can track change over time by downloading earlier versions.
Is data available for all of the UK?
Mostly. ONS covers England and Wales. For Scotland, use the National Records of Scotland. For Northern Ireland, use the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Some UK-wide datasets do exist, but always check coverage before using.