Assessing the Spatial Structure of Population Variables in England

Characterisation of the spatial structure of population variables is important for several reasons. Firstly, knowledge of how population subgroups are distributed across spatial scales has direct links to several research areas including analyses of deprivation, residential segregation and health status. For any application concerned with concentrations of members of different groups, spatial structure and scales of variation are important. Secondly, any analysis of variables represented using area data (e.g., census zones) is partly a function of the size and shape of the zones, but also the spatial scale of variation in the variable of concern. This paper explores the spatial scale of variation in population subgroups across England in 2001. The variables relate to age, ethnicity, health status, employment status, qualifications and housing tenure. The contributions made by the paper are twofold – (i) approaches for the analysis of spatial structure of population subgroups are detailed and (ii) the results enhance the understanding of the characteristics of population subgroups in England.