This is an exact fit lookup file between Middle layer Super Output Areas as at December 2011 and Middle layer Super Output Areas as at December 2021 and Local Authority Districts as at December 2022 in England and Wales. This product has been provided with a 'change indicator' field, that define the lookup between 2011 and 2021 MSOA. This field indicates which output areas / super output areas have changed between 2011 and 2021.

This version 2 has had some changes to the change indicator field where splits have gone to complexes in under 10 MSOAs

There are four designated categories to describe the changes, and these are as follows:

U - No Change from 2011 to 2021. This means that direct comparisons can be made between these 2011 and 2021 MSOA.

S - Split. This means that the 2011 MSOA has been split into two or more 2021 MSOA. There will be one record for each of the 2021 MSOA that the 2011 MSOA has been split into. This means direct comparisons can be made between estimates for the single 2011 MSOA and the estimates from the aggregated 2021 MSOA.

M - Merged. 2011 MSOA have been merged with another one or more 2011 MSOA to form a single 2021 MSOA. This means direct comparisons can be made between the aggregated 2011 MSOAs’ estimates and the single 2021 MSOA’s estimates.

X - The relationship between 2011 and 2021 MSOA is irregular and fragmented. This has occurred where 2011 MSOA have been redesigned because of local authority district boundary changes, or to improve their social homogeneity. These can’t be easily mapped to equivalent 2021 MSOA like the regular splits (S) and merges (M), and therefore like for like comparisons of estimates for 2011 MSOA and 2021 MSOA are not possible.

Field Names – MSOA11CD, MSOA11NM, CHGIND, MSOA21CD, MSOA21NM, LAD22CD, LAD22NM, LAD22NMW

Field Types – Text, Text, Text, Text, Text, Text, Text, Text

Field Lengths – 9, 32, 1, 9, 39, 9, 35, 24