Learning and Resources

Fife's Geographies

Geography products

Geographical data and related indexes/lookup tables are commonly used in research as they enable data from diverse sources to be linked to geographic locations. Linking data to locations is essential to understand and support Fife’s communities, highlighting areas that may require increased resources, informing decision-making. Key geographies and lookups include administrative geographies, postcode lookups and statistical geographies.

Statistical building blocks, including Census Output Areas, Data Zones and Intermediate Zones (also referred to as Inter Zones), are used to produce statistics at higher geographies. An interactive mapping application detailing Fife’s Small Area Statistical Geographies for 2011 and 2022 can be accessed here.

A KnowFife Briefing providing an overview of the changes in Data Zone and Intermediate Zone geographies between 2011 and 2022 can be accessed here.

Geography products are available from several sources including National Records of Scotland (NRS), Spatial Hub, Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Commonly used geographies and lookups in research and analysis are listed below.

Please contact Fife Council’s Research and Insight Team on research.enquiries@fife.gov.uk regarding questions relating to Fife’s geographies.

Geographies

Census Output Areas (COA) boundaries and population weighted centroids

Format	Shapefile, WMS, WFS
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	2011 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/e8544752-8d8e-4be4-8fad-68e7e70a90b8 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/9d977a73-7884-4870-ae76-afccf8e6fae8 2022 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/a0a643ba-c0ed-4860-93a9-5fee11ac492a https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/357c21cd-0831-4b7d-86c7-adc8dbd9fbd0

Census 2022 Localities boundaries and centroids

Format	Shapefile, WMS, WFS
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/db8c4cb5-39f0-42a7-838b-17178422bc61 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/9acf8405-1cf3-4670-ae66-c86d8e130eb2

Census 2022 Settlement boundaries and centroids

Format	Shapefile, WMS, WFS
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/3d4b28c3-180d-4a21-8771-3193aa5f2e8d https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/74fac518-df51-420d-bc87-21f84acb328f

Community Council Boundaries

Format	Shapefile, WMS, WFS, CSV, JSON
Extent	Scotland and Fife Local Authority
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/83b038d4-1d33-4acf-83ea-e5dcc510a034

Data Zone Boundaries and Population Weighted Centroids (PWC)

Format	Shapefile, ESRI REST, WMS, WFS
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	2011 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/7d3e8709-98fa-4d71-867c-d5c8293823f2 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/8f370479-5e3d-450b-9064-4a33274f1a52 2022 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/f6656adf-b720-4612-ad5c-1d13eae94c8b?language=all https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/6755b5a3-5d99-4ca3-bd19-33d5454774ac#:~:text=Data%20Zone%20centroids%20are%20point,%27best%2Dfit%27%20match

Fife Council Area Committee (Health and Social Care Localities) Boundaries

Format	Shapefile, GeoJSON, CSV, Geopackage
Extent	Fife
Source	ArcGIS Online
Links	https://fifeonline-maps.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=7b96a76690204bbf8672028a489b8a8e
Background	https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/about-your-council2/politicians-and-committees/committees/area-committees https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/about-your-council2/politicians-and-committees/committees

Intermediate Zone Boundaries and Population Weighted Centroids (PWC)

Format	Shapefile, ESRI REST, WMS, WFS
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	2011 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/389787c0-697d-4824-9ca9-9ce8cb79d6f5 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/298a25ec-926e-40ca-b74e-60576f8f6dda#:~:text=Intermediate%20zone%20centroids%20are%20point,release%20at%20data%20zone%20level 2022 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/28766a39-98fe-42b2-b599-cff691002d43 https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/28766a39-98fe-42b2-b599-cff691002d43

Scottish Electoral Wards (Multi-member Wards)

Format	Shapefile
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/api/records/f17baa94-1e55-4656-9f7b-ead496609220

Scottish Local Authority

Format	Shapefile, WFS, GeoJSON, CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	SpatialData.gov.scot
Links	https://data.spatialhub.scot/dataset/local_authority_boundaries-is

Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD)

Format	Shapefile
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/scottish-postcode-directory-2025/ Postcode Information Note: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/geography-postcode-information-note/

Lookups

Census 2022 Index (Census Output Area to Higher Geographies)

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/2022-census-geography-products/

Census Output Area 2022 to Community Council

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/2022-census-geography-products/

Census Output Area 2022 to Data Zone 2022 and Interzone 2022

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/2022-census-geography-products/

Census Output Area 2022 to Urban Rural Classification 2022

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/2022-census-geography-products/

Data Zone to Higher Geographies

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	statistics.gov.scot
Links	2011 https://statistics.gov.scot/data/data-zone-lookup 2022 https://statistics.gov.scot/data/data-zone-lookup-2022

Intermediate Zone to Multi-Member Ward and Area Committee/Locality

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Fife
Source	Fife Council ArcGIS Online
Links	2011 https://fifeonline-maps.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=ae136d78c72d4893908cc2147b8c17fc 2022 https://fifeonline-maps.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=a519e8a8d62341c5921c5ac6bf129355 Based on location of Intermediate Zone population weighted centroid

Multi-Member Ward to Area Committee/Locality

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Fife
Source	Fife Council ArcGIS Online
Links	https://fifeonline-maps.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/babf7de6ca60471799c780ae7c233e07/data

Scottish Address Directory (SAD)

Format	Zipped Text File
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS) – available to members of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA). Fife Council is a member.
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography-products/

Scottish Statistics Postcode Lookup

Format	Excel CSV
Extent	Scotland
Source	National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Links	https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/scottish-statistics-postcode-lookup/ Guidance: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/geography-scottish-statistics-postcode-lookup-information-note/

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