The New Census Geography of Small Areas
Previously, the smallest geographical area for such and index was Electoral Divisions (EDs) –which could range in population from under 100 to over 32,000. This range in size meant that comparative relative scoring could be problematic – scoring an area with 32,000 people as ‘affluent’ or ‘disadvantaged’ would not reflect the many possible levels of either within it. Moving away from EDs, and towards the new ‘Small Areas’ marks a major advance, particularly where a census‐based deprivation index is used as a proxy for individual‐level social position. The Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS) of the 2011 Census of Population has been released at the level of 18,488 Small Areas (SAs) – an increase from 15,383 as per the previous index. In this new census geography, SAs are standardised in size, with a minimum of 50 households and a mean of just under 100, thus effectively providing street‐level information on the Irish population. The HP Index is the only deprivation index in Ireland to have implemented the new small area census geography using both the 2006 and 2011 census data in a consistent manner.