West Lothian Council : NS Socio-economic Classification (4-way)

NS Socio-economic Classification (4-way)

Data cube chart.

Year Higher managerial, administrative & professional occupations Intermediate occupations Routine & manual occupations Never worked & long-term unemployed
1841 1,187 Show data context 5,875 Show data context 5,836 Show data context
1881 2,559 Show data context 11,482 Show data context 6,840 Show data context
1931 2,894 Show data context 17,301 Show data context 11,886 Show data context
1971 1,796 Show data context 1,833 Show data context 1,574 Show data context 558 Show data context
1981 2,652 Show data context 2,033 Show data context 1,983 Show data context 615 Show data context
1991 3,477 Show data context 1,646 Show data context 1,949 Show data context 136 Show data context
2001 28,999 Show data context 18,747 Show data context 41,778 Show data context 8,434 Show data context
2011 61,107 Show data context 27,768 Show data context 52,642 Show data context 13,844 Show data context
2021 48,613 Show data context 29,750 Show data context 51,167 Show data context 18,043 Show data context
Date Source
1841 [ERROR: authority is ''SRC'' but auth_note value of does not appear in SRC_TAB]
1881 1881 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [32] , 'Occupations of Males and Females at different Ages in each of the Counties of Scotland'
1931 1931 Census of Scotland, Occupations, Table 16 , 'Industries of Males and Females in Cities, Counties, and Large Burghs'
1971 UK Data Service, Census 1971 data (Table SAS23: "SEG and economic position (10% Sample): Economically Active residents")
1981 UK Data Service, Census 1981 data (SAS50: "Socio-Economic group and economic positions (10% Sample): Economically active residents")
1991 Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table S92 "SEG and economic position (10% sample): Economically active residents)
2001 National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (Table UV31, NS-SeC (51 way))
2011 Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table QS607UK - NS-SeC)
2021 National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (Table UV607, NS-SeC, for "all people aged 16 and over")

This website exists to help people doing personal research projects on particular areas within a locality. So long as you are using our data for only a small number of units, you are not making money out of what you are doing, and you are not systematically re-publishing our data, you do not need to request permission from us, but you do need to acknowledge us as your source with the wording:

"This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth".

Where the above statement is included in a web page or similar online resource, the reference to "www.VisionofBritain.org.uk" must be a working hyperlink.

nCube definition


The early censuses 1801-31 used this very simple classification of occupations. The cemsuses of Great Britain from 1811 onwards applied it to families rather than persons, and all families were included under one of these headings.


How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, West Lothian Council through time | Historical Statistics on Social Structure | NS Socio-economic Classification (4-way), A Vision of Ireland through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofireland.org/unit/10089773/cube/NS_SEC_4WAY

Date accessed: 03rd June 2026