UK gridded workday population at 1 km resolution for 2021 based on Census 2021/2022 and Land Cover Map 2021
type: Dataset
description: This dataset contains gridded workday population estimates with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km for the UK based on Census 2021 (Census 2022 for Scotland) and Land Cover Map 2021 input data. While traditional residential population data reflects where individuals live, these workday estimates account for the movement of the population during typical working hours, redistributing the census population based on employment locations and commuting flows. Data on population distribution for the United Kingdom is available from statistical offices in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and provided to the public e.g. via the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Population data is typically provided in tabular form or, based on a range of different geographical units, in file types for geographical information systems (GIS), for instance as ESRI Shapefiles. The geographical units reflect administrative boundaries at different levels of detail, from Devolved Administration to Output Areas (OA), wards or intermediate geographies. While the presentation of data on the level of these geographical units is useful for statistical purposes, accounting for spatial variability for instance of environmental determinants of public health requires a more spatially homogeneous population distribution. For this purpose, the dataset presented here combines 2021/2022 UK Census population data on Output Area level with Land Cover Map 2021 land-use classes 'urban' and 'suburban' to create a consistent and comprehensive gridded workday population product. The mapping product is based on British National Grid (OSGB36 datum). Census data from the Office of National Statistics, National Records for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency have been downloaded as CSV/Excel files (as outlined in Collection Methods). To ensure consistency of the final product, total population numbers were compared, at each processing step, with the official 2021/2022 Census tota…
issued: 2026-04-16T10:10:15.584878
modified: 2026-07-30T22:15:48.157881
spatial: Location
  geometry: {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[1.768, 49.864], [-8.648, 49.864], [-8.648, 60.861], [1.768, 60.861], [1.768, 49.864]]]}
keyword: Population Distribution - Demography

Supporting information
type: Distribution
description: Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset
format: ZIP
issued: 2026-07-30T22:15:48.198959
modified: 2026-07-30T22:15:48.170441
access URL: https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/e7456cd0-9322-4794-953b-baf7d49231e1.zip
media type: application/zip

Download the data
type: Distribution
description: Download a copy of this data
issued: 2026-07-30T22:15:48.198961
modified: 2026-07-30T22:15:48.170529
access URL: https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/data/e7456cd0-9322-4794-953b-baf7d49231e1

Environmental Information Data Centre
type: Organization