Rural Urban Classification (2021) of Local Authority Districts (2024) in EW

Rural Urban Classification The 2021 RUC is a statistical classification to provide a consistent and standardised method for classifying geographies as rural or urban. This is based on address density, physical settlement form, population size, and Relative Access to Major towns and cities (populations of over 75,000 people). The classification is produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with advice from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government and colleagues from the Government Geography Profession (GGP). This is 2021 rural-urban classification (RUC) of 2024 Local Authority Districts in England and Wales. This means that the 2021 RUC methodology has been applied to the 2024 LAD boundaries. LAD classifications are divided into four categories based on their populations: 1. Majority Rural: had at least 50% of their population residing in Rural OAs 2. Intermediate Rural: 35-50% rural population 3. Intermediate Urban: 20-35% rural population 4. Urban: 20% or less of the population lived in rural OAs. Each 2024 LAD category is split into one of two Relative Access categories, using the same data as the 2021 Output Area RUC. If more than 50% of a LAD population lives in ‘Nearer a major town or city’ OAs, it is deemed ‘nearer a major town or city’; otherwise, it is classified as ‘further from a major town or city’. Where data is unavailable for Super Output Area geographies, it may be appropriate for users to undertake analysis at the LAD level. At this level, the categorisation works slightly differently in that most areas will include a mix of both rural and urban areas - so the LA RUC categorisation is a reflection of this. A statistical geography may contain substantial portions of open countryside but still be given an ‘Urban’ classification if the majority of the population within the area live in settlements that are urban in nature. Users should take this into consideration to ensure correct interpretations of any analysis of RUC LAD categories.城乡分类（Rural Urban Classification, RUC）2021版是一套统计分类体系，旨在为地理区域的城乡划分提供统一且标准化的方法。该分类以地址密度、实体聚落形态、人口规模，以及通往人口超75000的大型城镇的相对可达性作为划分依据。本分类由英国国家统计局（Office for National Statistics, ONS）在环境、食品与农村事务部（Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra）、威尔士政府及政府地理专业团队（Government Geography Profession, GGP）的专家建议下编制完成。本次数据集为2024年英格兰与威尔士地方当局区域（Local Authority Districts, LAD）的2021版城乡分类结果，即已将2021版RUC的分类方法适配应用于2024年的LAD行政边界。LAD的分类依据人口结构划分为四类：1. 以乡村为主：超50%的人口居住于乡村输出区（Output Areas, OA）；2. 轻度乡村：乡村人口占比为35%~50%；3. 轻度城镇：乡村人口占比为20%~35%；4. 城镇型：乡村人口占比不超过20%。每个2024年LAD类别还将基于2021版输出区RUC的同源数据，进一步划分为两类相对可达性组别之一：若某LAD内超过50%的人口居住在“邻近大型城镇”的输出区，则该LAD被归类为“邻近大型城镇”；反之则归类为“远离大型城镇”。若超级输出区（Super Output Area）的地理数据不可获取，用户可选择在LAD层面开展分析。在此层面，分类逻辑略有调整：多数区域会兼具乡村与城镇元素，因此LAD层面的RUC分类正是对此特征的体现。即便某统计地理区域包含大片开阔郊野，只要区内多数人口居住在城镇型聚落，该区域仍会被归类为“城镇型”。用户需留意此细节，以确保对LAD层面RUC分类的分析解读准确无误。