Geographical data linkage

On this page you can explore the linked geodata currently available through the UK Data Service for each of our cohort studies.

You can also find out more about how to apply for a new geospatial data linkage, and about our future plans.

The data we collect

We collect addresses and other location data from cohort members and use these to construct a set of geographical identifiers.

These geographical identifiers are available to researchers under secure access conditions.

Work is underway to further enhance our cohort studies by linking in a rich set of geographical data sources via people’s geolocation.

Currently linked geodata using postcode centroids

National Child Development Study

The following data are all available from the UK Data Service.

Geographical identifiers (post 2000)*
Geographical identifiers (pre 2000) **
Census boundaries (2001, 2011)
Census boundaries (1971, 1981)
Townsend Index scores (1974-2013)

* Enumeration District/Output Area, Lower Super Output Area, Middle Layer Super Output Area, Census Area Statistical Ward, Ward (98 boundaries), Parliamentary constituency, Local Authority District, Government Office Region, Country

** Enumeration District, Ward, Parliamentary Constituency, Local Authority District, County, Standard Statistical Region (pre-1998), Country

1970 British Cohort Study

The following data are all available from the UK Data Service.

Geographical identifiers (post 2000)*
Geographical identifiers (pre 2000)**
Census boundaries (2001, 2011)
Townsend Index scores (1980-2012)

*Enumeration District/Output Area, Lower Super Output Area, Middle Layer Super Output Area, Census Area Statistical Ward, Ward (98 boundaries), Parliamentary constituency, Local Authority District, Government Office Region, Country

**Enumeration District, Ward, Parliamentary Constituency, Local Authority District, County, Standard Statistical Region (pre-1998), Country

Next Steps

The following data are all available from the UK Data Service.

Geographical identifiers (post 2000)*
Census boundaries (2001, 2011)

*Enumeration District/Output Area, Lower Super Output Area, Middle Layer Super Output Area, Census Area Statistical Ward, Ward (98 boundaries), Parliamentary constituency, Local Authority District, Government Office Region, Country

Millennium Cohort Study

The following data are all available from the UK Data Service.

Geographical identifiers (post 2000)*
Census boundaries (2001, 2011)
Banded distances to schools
Banded distances of home moves between sweeps
Green space deciles (Census Area Statistical Ward)
Air pollution MEDix deciles (Lower Super Output Area)

*Enumeration District/Output Area, Lower Super Output Area, Middle Layer Super Output Area, Census Area Statistical Ward, Ward (98 boundaries), Parliamentary constituency, Local Authority District, Government Office Region, Country

Future enhancements

New geographical data linkages

Apply for geospatial data linkage

To apply for a new geospatial data linkage, or for more granular identifiers, please complete the New data linkage application form.

You can find the form on our Proposing data linkages and enhancement page.

Future geodata plans

Work is underway to geocode all addresses given by cohort members at all survey sweeps to the address level. This is an improvement on the current and historical reliance on postcode centroids.

This work will result in a real enhancement of the quality of the geodata that can be linked, with the level of aggregation optimised for the data source and research question at hand.

There are opportunities to use these new geocodes to match a wide range of new sources of geodata into the cohorts, and to make them available to researchers at a suitable level of aggregation.

This could include, for example, Met Office weather and air pollution data, and green space. Census 2021 also provides an opportunity to link all of the cohort data to the UK’s largest decennial data collection exercise.

Page updated: May 2024