Middle Layer Super Output Areas: 2011 Boundaries for England and Wales

December 2011 digital vector boundaries for Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) in England and Wales. The dataset contains four boundary versions: full resolution (extent of the realm and coastline-clipped) and generalised versions (20m and 200m). It is provided by the Office for National Statistics and contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.

Use Cases

• Create thematic maps for census data based on the provided MSOA boundaries.
• Perform spatial joins to aggregate point data to MSOA level using the coastline-clipped boundaries.
• Generate simplified visualizations for web mapping using the super generalised (200m) boundary files.
• Analyze coastal and offshore administrative extents using the full resolution 'extent of the realm' boundaries.

Strengths

• Provides four distinct boundary versions for different use cases, including full resolution and generalised (2 MB to 191 MB file sizes).
• Boundaries are temporally specific, representing the state as of 31 December 2011.
• Includes both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights, indicating authoritative sourcing.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and column definitions require manual inspection after download.
• Data is from 2011, which may not reflect subsequent boundary changes or current geography.
• Row count and specific column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred.

Provenance

Source

Office for National Statistics

Collection Method

Digital vector boundaries produced for census geography.

Time Range

As at 31 December 2011.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-08 13:33:19.851627; freshness should be verified.

Geography

England and Wales