UK Census Aggregate Statistics: Characteristics and Access

Census aggregate statistics are the most extensive, complex and widely used data products released by the three UK Census Offices. They provide the essential information on the characteristics and distribution of the population throughout the United Kingdom. They are a national resource, providing the backbone of high quality national demographic and socio-economic information. This chapter outlines the characteristics and value of 2011 Census aggregate statistics, as well as the challenges in managing and delivering them for use in ways that maximise their accessibility, utility and impact. In the context of user access, we summarise the systems provided by the Census Offices and present details of an innovative multidimensional modelling approach that has been used to develop InFuse, a system that allows users to access the aggregate statistics without knowledge of the table structures used by the Census Offices.