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Urban Rural Classification

The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification provides a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas across Scotland. The classification is based upon two main criteria: (i) population as defined by the National Records of Scotland, and (ii) accessibility based on drive time analysis to differentiate between accessible and remote areas in Scotland.

There are four levels for classification

  • 2-fold

  • 3-fold

  • 6-fold

  • 8-fold

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Source https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-urban-rural-classification-2020/
Author Scottish Government
Maintainer GIS Team
Last Updated April 7, 2025, 10:57 (BST)
Created April 6, 2018, 12:21 (BST)
Contact Address Public Health Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9EB
Subject Reference data
Frequency Every 2 to 3 years
Time frame of data and timeliness The latest publication refers to 2022
Coverage Data zones in Scotland
Completeness 100%
Accuracy 100%
Continuity of data No issues
Concepts and definitions The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification provides a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas across Scotland. The classification is based upon two main criteria: (i) population as defined by the National Records of Scotland, and (ii) accessibility based on drive time analysis to differentiate between accessible and remote areas in Scotland.
Disclosure No disclosure has been applied
Revision statement No revisions have been applied
Official statistics designation National Statistics
Relevance and key uses of the statistics For users who want to know the datazone urban rural classification for various folds.
Format csv
Language English
Links

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