The latest tranche of Census 2011 results for Northern Ireland were released yesterday. They provide information of demography, identity, health, housing, education, labour markets, and travel and migration at a variety of geographic scales: 18 Assembly Areas, 26 Local Government Areas, 582 electoral wards, 890 Super Output Areas, and 4,537 Small Areas. Data is available for download here and accompanying mapping boundaries here (Great work by NISRA and a good example of open data)
The rich diversity of data released, and its detailed geographic resolution, enables the general public, policy makers, government and business to better understand the people and places of Northern Ireland in 2011, and the trajectories of change over time, and provides a fresh evidence base for formulating new policy and business plans. Indeed, fresh evidence was needed as Census 2001 has been used as a core base for policy formulation right up to this new release, despite it being over a decade old. What the data makes clear is that whilst there is some continuity, there has also been much change with respect to Northern Irish society and economy over the past decade. By mapping the data and undertaking time-series analysis it will be possible to understand the processes shaping different facets of everyday life and to model future scenarios for planning purposes.
To get started on all of this we have developed an interactive mapping tool for the Northern Ireland Output Areas (OA) and selected some interesting variables for Day 1: Population, National Identity, Religion, Qualifications and Unemployment. Have a look at the new mapping tool here
Over the coming weeks we’ll add to this tool and will also start on our new INTERREG funded project (with colleagues at ICLRD) that will allow us to develop a very comprehensive All-Island Census Mapping Atlas that will look at change on the island from 2001 to 2011.
Justin Gleeson
Ireland after NAMA 
February 20, 2013 at 9:23 am
Great work but your colour scheme is a mess and not clear at all.
Here is something a little more user friendly dont be afraid to use green and orange for national identity and religion themes
This map isnt perfect as other and no religion get lumped into the orange section but at least you get the idea as oppossed to looking at yellow West Belfast, purple East Belfast and either green or lilac mixed areas!
February 20, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for your comment Boondock.
I prefer to stick with schemes from here: http://colorbrewer2.org/
July 1, 2013 at 1:02 am
Excellent work, much of it invisible I’m sure, to bring this kind of complex detail to the fore. Well done.
You might consider also a graphic exclusively of the new electoral wards areas whenever they’re made public, (something akin to what Boondock has posted re the 2001 census) – “as well as” rather than “instead of”, your existing, detailed graphic.
LC
January 27, 2014 at 9:46 pm
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