Types of data published on this site
data.gov.scot brings together datasets from the Scottish Government and public bodies.
Most datasets are one of the following types:
official statistics
administrative and operational data
geospatial data
reference data
Official statistics
Official statistics are figures collected and published by the Scottish Government and other public bodies.
They are often grouped by:
council area
health board
age
year
Examples include:
population estimates
school attendance
hospital admissions
employment ratesAdministrative and operational data
Administrative and operational data is information collected while delivering public services.
Geospatial data
Geospatial data is data with a location.
It includes:
boundaries
natural features
infrastructure
mapped layers
You can download this data in formats you can use with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) tools.
Reference data
Reference data is the codes, classifications and geographies used to organise and compare other datasets.
Examples include:
council areas
data zones – small areas used to represent communities
standard industrial classifications
Browse data by theme
You can browse by theme on the homepage to find data on a topic.
Themes include:
health and social care
housing
economy
population
transport