Bulk data

Bulk data products enable users, particularly managers of information systems, to load large volumes of tables into their own systems in automated ways.

The main statistics from the 2011 Census are published in sets of tables. Users requiring all the tables in a particular release can:

• download from a dedicated web service - see the full list of bulk data products currently available

• download individually from Nomis

Bulk data can be ordered in advance from Census Customer Services. You can also register for regular updates and information on forthcoming releases of bulk data. Email census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk.

Formats

Bulk data is available in CSV, in a format that has been agreed with major census data distributors and will be familiar to most programmers.

Further information about the format is included in the bulk data products.

Final table layouts for each set of tables are published prior to and alongside each release, and each cell in each table assigned an identifier. These are frequently referred to as "cell numbered table layouts" and provide users with a reference mechanism to use when loading CSV data (CSV format contains cell IDs).

Geographies

Datasets available in standard bulk format generally contain data only for output areas, lower and middle layer super output areas, wards, local authorities, unitary authorities, counties, regions, and countries.

Output Areas provide building blocks that enable the construction of other geographies in users systems by reference to the supporting geographic information.