ONS coding system
The ONS coding system was a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating census and other statistical data. ONS refers to the Office for National Statistics.
It was replaced by the GSS coding system on 1 January 2011.
Code formulation
[edit]Principal authorities
[edit]The code was constructed top down from a four character code representing a unitary authority or two-tier county and district.
| 00EC | Middlesbrough (unitary) |
| or | |
|---|---|
| 12 | Cambridgeshire county |
| 12UB | Cambridge district |
Electoral wards and output areas
[edit]Local government wards had a two-letter code within their local authority, and census output area an additional four digits within a ward.
| 12UB | Cambridge district |
| 12UBGA | Petersfield ward |
| 12UBGA0001 | Output area: Gwydir Street (north of junction with Hooper St) |
The authority and ward codes were recognised by Eurostat as local administrative unit code levels 1 and 2 within the NUTS system.
Civil parishes
[edit]An overlapping system encoded civil parish areas. Parishes were represented by an additional three digits within their local authority:
| 12UD | Fenland district |
| 12UD010 | Tydd St. Giles parish |
List of codes for counties and districts
[edit]The codes for counties and districts were as follows.[1]
Also showing NUTS(3) codes thus: (UKH12)
Greater London
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes in 1986.
00AA (UKI11)City of London00AB (UKI21)Barking and Dagenham00AC (UKI23)Barnet00AD (UKI21)Bexley00AE (UKI23)Brent00AF (UKI22)Bromley00AG (UKI11)Camden00AH (UKI22)Croydon00AJ (UKI23)Ealing00AK (UKI21)Enfield00AL (UKI21)Greenwich00AM (UKI12)Hackney00AN (UKI11)Hammersmith and Fulham00AP (UKI12)Haringey00AQ (UKI23)Harrow00AR (UKI21)Havering00AS (UKI23)Hillingdon00AT (UKI23)Hounslow00AU (UKI12)Islington00AW (UKI11)Kensington and Chelsea00AX (UKI22)Kingston upon Thames00AY (UKI12)Lambeth00AZ (UKI12)Lewisham00BA (UKI22)Merton00BB (UKI12)Newham00BC (UKI21)Redbridge00BD (UKI23)Richmond upon Thames00BE (UKI12)Southwark00BF (UKI22)Sutton00BG (UKI12)Tower Hamlets00BH (UKI21)Waltham Forest00BJ (UKI11)Wandsworth00BK (UKI11)Westminster
Metropolitan counties
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes in 1986.
- Greater Manchester districts
- Merseyside districts
- South Yorkshire districts
- Tyne and Wear districts
00CH (UKC22)Gateshead00CJ (UKC22)Newcastle-upon-Tyne00CK (UKC22)North Tyneside00CL (UKC22)South Tyneside00CM (UKC23)Sunderland
- West Midlands districts
00CN (UKG31)Birmingham00CQ (UKG33)Coventry00CR (UKG34)Dudley00CS (UKG34)Sandwell00CT (UKG32)Solihull00CU (UKG35)Walsall00CW (UKG35)Wolverhampton
- West Yorkshire districts
00CX (UKE41)Bradford00CY (UKE43)Calderdale00CZ (UKE43)Kirklees00DA (UKE42)Leeds00DB (UKE43)Wakefield
Non-hierarchical codes for Greater London and metropolitan counties
[edit]1BInner London1COuter London2AGreater Manchester2BMerseyside2CSouth Yorkshire2DTyne and Wear2EWest Midlands2FWest Yorkshire
Unitary authorities established in the 1990s
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes the 1990s.
- North East England region
00EB (UKC11)Hartlepool00EC (UKC12)Middlesbrough00EE (UKC12)Redcar and Cleveland00EF (UKC11)Stockton-on-Tees00EH (UKC13)Darlington
- North West England region
00ET (UKD21)Halton00EU (UKD21)Warrington00EX (UKD41)Blackburn with Darwen00EY (UKD42)Blackpool
- Yorkshire and the Humber region
00FA (UKE11)Kingston upon Hull00FB (UKE12)East Riding of Yorkshire00FC (UKE13)North East Lincolnshire00FD (UKE13)North Lincolnshire00FF (UKE21)York
- East Midlands region
00FK (UKF11)Derby00FN (UKF21)Leicester00FP (UKF22)Rutland00FY (UKF14)Nottingham
- West Midlands region
00GA (UKG11)Herefordshire00GF (UKG21)Telford and Wrekin00GL (UKG23)Stoke-on-Trent
- South West England region
00HA (UKK12)Bath and North East Somerset00HB (UKK11)Bristol00HC (UKK12)North Somerset00HD (UKK12)South Gloucestershire00HG (UKK41)Plymouth00HH (UKK42)Torbay00HN (UKK21)Bournemouth00HP (UKK21)Poole00HX (UKK14)Swindon
- East of England region
00JA (UKH11)Peterborough00KA (UKH21)Luton00KF (UKH31)Southend-on-Sea00KG (UKH32)Thurrock
- South East England region
00LC (UKJ41)Medway00MA (UKJ11)Bracknell Forest00MB (UKJ11)West Berkshire00MC (UKJ11)Reading00MD (UKJ11)Slough00ME (UKJ11)Windsor and Maidenhead00MF (UKJ11)Wokingham00MG (UKJ12)Milton Keynes00ML (UKJ21)Brighton and Hove00MR (UKJ31)Portsmouth00MS (UKJ32)Southampton00MW (UKJ34)Isle of Wight
Unitary authorities established in 2009
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes in 2009.
00KBBedford00KCCentral Bedfordshire00EQCheshire East00EWCheshire West and Chester00HECornwall00HFIsles of Scilly00EJCounty Durham00EMNorthumberland00GGShropshire00HYWiltshire
Non-metropolitan counties
[edit]08Avon09 (UKH22)Bedfordshire09UBLuton09UCMid Bedfordshire09UDBedford09UESouth Bedfordshire
10Berkshire10UBBracknell Forest10UCNewbury10UDReading10UESlough10UFWindsor and Maidenhead10UGWokingham
11 (UKJ13)Buckinghamshire11UBAylesbury Vale11UCChiltern11UDMilton Keynes11UESouth Bucks11UFWycombe
12 (UKH12)Cambridgeshire12UBCambridge12UCEast Cambridgeshire12UDFenland12UEHuntingdonshire12UFPeterborough12UGSouth Cambridgeshire
13 (UKD22)Cheshire13UBChester13UCCongleton13UDCrewe and Nantwich13UEEllesmere Port and Neston13UFHalton13UGMacclesfield13UHVale Royal13UJWarrington
14Cleveland14UBHartlepool14UCLangbaurgh-on-Tees14UDMiddlesbrough14UEStockton-on-Tees
15 (UKK30)Cornwall and Scilly15UBCaradon15UCCarrick15UDKerrier15UENorth Cornwall15UFPenwith15UGRestormel15UHIsles of Scilly
16Cumbria16UB (UKD11)Allerdale16UC (UKD11)Barrow-in-Furness16UD (UKD12)Carlisle16UE (UKD11)Copeland16UF (UKD12)Eden16UG (UKD12)South Lakeland
17Derbyshire17UB (UKF13)Amber Valley17UC (UKF12)Bolsover17UD (UKF12)Chesterfield17UEDerby17UF (UKF13)Derbyshire Dales17UG (UKF13)Erewash17UH (UKF13)High Peak17UJ (UKF12)North East Derbyshire17UK (UKF13)South Derbyshire
18 (UKK43)Devon18UBEast Devon18UCExeter18UDMid Devon18UENorth Devon19UFPlymouth18UGSouth Hams18UHTeignbridge19UJTorbay18UKTorridge18ULWest Devon
19 (UKK22)Dorset19UBBournemouth19UCChristchurch19UDEast Dorset19UENorth Dorset19UFPoole19UGPurbeck19UHWest Dorset19UJWeymouth and Portland
20 (UKC14)County Durham20UBChester-le-Street20UCDarlington20UDDerwentside20UEDurham20UFEasington20UGSedgefield20UHTeesdale20UJWear Valley
21 (UKJ22)East Sussex22 (UKH33)Essex22UBBasildon22UCBraintree22UDBrentwood22UECastle Point22UFChelmsford22UGColchester22UHEpping Forest22UJHarlow22UKMaldon22ULRochford22UMSouthend-on-Sea22UNTendring22UPThurrock22UQUttlesford
23 (UKK13)Gloucestershire23UBCheltenham23UCCotswold23UDForest of Dean23UEGloucester23UFStroud23UGTewkesbury
24 (UKJ33)Hampshire24UBBasingstoke and Deane24UCEast Hampshire24UDEastleigh24UEFareham24UFGosport24UGHart24UHHavant24UJNew Forest24UKPortsmouth24ULRushmoor24UMSouthampton24UNTest Valley24UPWinchester
25Hereford and Worcester25UBBromsgrove25UCHereford25UDLeominster25UEMalvern Hills25UFRedditch25UGSouth Herefordshire25UHWorcester25UJWyre Forest25UKWychavon
26 (UKH23)Hertfordshire26UBBroxbourne26UCDacorum26UDEast Hertfordshire26UEHertsmere26UFNorth Hertfordshire26UGSt Albans26UHStevenage26UJThree Rivers26UKWatford26ULWelwyn Hatfield
27Humberside27UBBoothferry27UCCleethorpes27UDEast Yorkshire27UEBeverley27UFGlanford27UGHolderness27UHGreat Grimsby27UJKingston upon Hull27UKScunthorpe
28Isle of Wight county28UBMedina28UCSouth Wight
29 (UKJ42)Kent29UBAshford29UCCanterbury29UDDartford29UEDover29UFGillingham29UGGravesham29UHMaidstone29UJRochester upon Medway29UKSevenoaks29ULShepway29UMSwale29UNThanet29UPTonbridge and Malling29UQTunbridge Wells
30 (UKD43)Lancashire30UBBlackburn30UCBlackpool30UDBurnley30UEChorley30UFFylde30UGHyndburn30UHLancaster30UJPendle30UKPreston30ULRibble Valley30UMRossendale30UNSouth Ribble30UPWest Lancashire30UQWyre
31 (UKF22)Leicestershire31UBBlaby31UCCharnwood31UDHarborough31UEHinckley and Bosworth31UFLeicester31UGMelton31UHNorth West Leicestershire31UJOadby and Wigston31UKRutland
32 (UKF30)Lincolnshire32UBBoston32UCEast Lindsey32UDLincoln32UENorth Kesteven32UFSouth Holland32UGSouth Kesteven32UHWest Lindsey
33 (UKH13)Norfolk33UBBreckland33UCBroadland33UDGreat Yarmouth33UEKing's Lynn and West Norfolk33UFNorth Norfolk33UGNorwich33UHSouth Norfolk
34 (UKF23)Northamptonshire34UBCorby34UCDaventry34UDEast Northamptonshire34UEKettering34UFNorthampton34UGSouth Northamptonshire34UHWellingborough
35 (UKC21)Northumberland35UBAlnwick35UCBerwick-upon-Tweed35UDBlyth Valley35UECastle Morpeth35UFTynedale35UGWansbeck
36 (UKE22)North Yorkshire36UBCraven36UCHambleton36UDHarrogate36UERichmondshire36UFRyedale36UGScarborough36UHSelby36UJYork
37Nottinghamshire37UB (UKF15)Ashfield37UC (UKF15)Bassetlaw37UD (UKF16)Broxtowe37UE (UKF16)Gedling37UF (UKF15)Mansfield37UG (UKF15)Newark and Sherwood37UHNottingham37UJ (UKF16)Rushcliffe
38 (UKJ14)Oxfordshire38UBCherwell38UCOxford38UDSouth Oxfordshire38UEVale of White Horse38UFWest Oxfordshire
39 (UKG22)Shropshire39UBBridgnorth39UCNorth Shropshire39UDOswestry39UEShrewsbury and Atcham39UFSouth Shropshire39UGThe Wrekin
40 (UKK23)Somerset40UBMendip40UCSedgemoor40UDSouth Somerset40UETaunton Deane40UFWest Somerset
41 (UKG24)Staffordshire41UBCannock Chase41UCEast Staffordshire41UDLichfield41UENewcastle-under-Lyme41UFSouth Staffordshire41UGStafford41UHStaffordshire Moorlands41UJStoke-on-Trent41UKTamworth
42 (UKH14)Suffolk42UBBabergh42UCForest Heath42UDIpswich42UEMid Suffolk42UFSt. Edmundsbury42UGSuffolk Coastal42UHWaveney
43 (UKJ23)Surrey43UBElmbridge43UCEpsom and Ewell43UDGuildford43UEMole Valley43UFReigate and Banstead43UGRunnymede43UHSpelthorne43UJSurrey Heath43UKTandridge43ULWaverley43UMWoking
44 (UKG13)Warwickshire44UBNorth Warwickshire44UCNuneaton and Bedworth44UDRugby44UEStratford-on-Avon44UFWarwick
45 (UKJ24)West Sussex45UBAdur45UCArun45UDChichester45UECrawley45UFHorsham45UGMid Sussex45UHWorthing
46 (UKK15)Wiltshire46UBKennet46UCNorth Wiltshire46UDSalisbury46UEThamesdown46UFWest Wiltshire
47 (UKG12)Worcestershire47UBBromsgrove47UCMalvern Hills47UDRedditch47UEWorcester47UFWychavon47UGWyre Forest
Wales
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes in 1996.
00NA (UKL11)Isle of Anglesey00NC (UKL12)Gwynedd00NE (UKL13)Conwy00NG (UKL13)Denbighshire00NJ (UKL23)Flintshire00NL (UKL23)Wrexham00NN (UKL24)Powys00NQ (UKL14)Ceredigion00NS (UKL14)Pembrokeshire00NU (UKL14)Carmarthenshire00NX (UKL18)Swansea00NZ (UKL17)Neath Port Talbot00PB (UKL17)Bridgend00PD (UKL22)Vale of Glamorgan00PF (UKL15)Rhondda Cynon Taff00PH (UKL15)Merthyr Tydfil00PK (UKL16)Caerphilly00PL (UKL16)Blaenau Gwent00PM (UKL16)Torfaen00PP (UKL21)Monmouthshire00PR (UKL21)Newport00PT (UKL22)Cardiff
Scotland
[edit]These codes became active following local government changes in 1996.
00QA (UKM10)Aberdeen00QB (UKM10)Aberdeenshire00QC (UKM21)Angus00QD (UKM31/43)Argyll and Bute00QE (UKM24)Scottish Borders00QF (UKM22)Clackmannanshire00QG (UKM31)West Dunbartonshire00QH (UKM32)Dumfries and Galloway00QJ (UKM21)Dundee00QK (UKM33)East Ayrshire00QL (UKM31)East Dunbartonshire00QM (UKM23)East Lothian00QN (UKM35)East Renfrewshire00QP (UKM25)Edinburgh00QQ (UKM26)Falkirk00QR (UKM22)Fife00QS (UKM34)Glasgow00QT (UKM41/42/43)Highland00QU (UKM35)Inverclyde00QW (UKM23)Midlothian00QX (UKM10/42)Moray00QY (UKM33/43)North Ayrshire00QZ (UKM36)North Lanarkshire00RA (UKM45)Orkney Islands00RB (UKM27)Perth and Kinross00RC (UKM35)Renfrewshire00RD (UKM46)Shetland Islands00RE (UKM37)South Ayrshire00RF (UKM38)South Lanarkshire00RG (UKM27)Stirling00RH (UKM28)West Lothian00RJ (UKM44)Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
Northern Ireland
[edit]95A (UKN04)Derry95B (UKN04)Limavady95C (UKN04)Coleraine95D (UKN04)Ballymoney95E (UKN04)Moyle95F (UKN03)Larne95G (UKN03)Ballymena95H (UKN05)Magherafelt95I (UKN05)Cookstown95J (UKN04)Strabane95K (UKN05)Omagh95L (UKN05)Fermanagh95M (UKN05)Dungannon and South Tyrone95N (UKN03)Craigavon95O (UKN05)Armagh95P (UKN05)Newry and Mourne95Q (UKN03)Banbridge95R (UKN03)Down95S (UKN02)Lisburn95T (UKN03)Antrim95U (UKN02)Newtownabbey95V (UKN02)Carrickfergus95W (UKN02)North Down95X (UKN03)Ards95Y (UKN02)Castlereagh95Z (UKN01)Belfast
References
[edit]- ^ "District Names and Codes for England and Wales as at 31/12/1994". statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2023.