Scotland's People: Scottish Household Survey Methodology 2005/2006

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Appendix 1. Scottish Mosaic

Scottish MOSAIC is a neighbourhood classification system developed by Experian. It draws on a large number of Census variables, augmented by some published non-Census information, to generate a way of discriminating between postcodes in terms of housing and population types, and densities. The system has 12 broad groups, subdivided into 47 types. The whole of each postcode is allocated to whichever MOSAIC category appears the most appropriate, on the basis of the overall statistics for the postcode. This 'geo-demographic' system has been used in the sampling for the SHS.

At the sampling stage, it enables us to stratify postcodes by MOSAIC type prior to drawing the addresses for the survey, thus ensuring that our random sample of addresses properly reflects the profile of Scotland. In 2000, the MOSAIC classification was extensively revised. While this does not affect its use for sampling, it has made MOSAIC less appropriate for analysis of the survey and makes the classification used since 2001 incompatible with previous data.

Table A: Descriptors of MOSAIC Areas and comparison with 2005/2006 SHS

Descriptor*

% of all households

% of SHS households

A - Upper echelons

Captains of Industry

A01

1.8

1.7

Percentage of all households - 6.1%

Wealth of Experience

A02

2.1

2.1

Percentage of SHS households - 5.9%

New Influentials

A03

2.1

2.1

B - Families on the move

Successful Managers

B04

2.5

2.6

Percentage of all households - 10.6%

White Collar Owners

B05

3

2.9

Percentage of SHS households - 10.9%

Emerging High Status

B06

1.8

1.9

New Suburbanites

B07

2.6

2.7

Settling In

B08

0.5

0.5

Military Might

B09

0.2

0.3

C - Small town propriety

Songs of Praise

C10

2.8

2.8

Percentage of all households - 10.2%

Ageing in Suburbia

C11

3.2

3.2

Percentage of SHS households - 10.5%

Blue Collar Owners

C12

4.2

4.5

D - Country lifestyles

Towns in Miniature

D13

3.2

3.3

Percentage of all households - 10.6%

Rural Playgrounds

D14

1.9

2.0

Percentage of SHS households - 10.4%

Agrarian Heartlands

D15

2

2.0

Isolated Farmsteads

D16

1.2

1.1

Scenic Wonderland

D17

1.5

1.2

Far Away Islanders

D18

0.8

0.8

E - Urban sophisticates

Prestige Tenements

E19

1.2

1.2

Percentage of all households - 6.4%

Studio Singles

E20

1.3

1.3

Percentage of SHS households - 6.3%

Rucksack and Bicycle

E21

0.6

0.6

College and Campus

E22

0.2

0.2

Inner City Transience

E23

1.9

1.9

Cosmopolitan Chic

E24

1.1

1.1

F - Town centre singles

Tenement Lifestyles

F25

1.6

1.6

Percentage of all households - 9.3%

Downtown Flatlets

F26

2.2

2.2

Percentage of SHS households - 9.4%

30 Something Singles

F27

1.9

2.0

Small Town Pride

F28

2.3

2.3

Dignified Seniors

F29

1.2

1.2

G - Low Spending Elders

Sought After Schemes

G30

4.5

4.4

Percentage of all households - 14.9%

Rustbelt Renaissance

G31

1.9

4.9

Percentage of SHS households - 14.9%

Planners Paradise

G32

5.5

5.6

H - Renters

Smokestack Survivors

H33

3.5

3.3

Percentage of all households - 13.6%

Quality City Scheme

H34

2.9

2.7

Percentage of SHS households - 13.4%

Lathe and Loom

H35

4.4

4.6

Indebted Families

H36

2.8

2.7

I - State beneficiaries

Pockets of Poverty

I37

3.1

3.2

Percentage of all households - 7.8%

Mid Rise Breadline

I38

1.6

1.6

Percentage of SHS households - 7.8%

Room and Kitchen

I39

1.8

1.7

Families in the Sky

I40

1.3

1.3

J - Shades of grey

Elders 4-in-a-Block

J41

4

4.1

Percentage of all households - 8.9%

Greys in Small Flats

J42

3

2.7

Percentage of SHS households - 8.7%

Skyline Seniors

J43

0.8

0.7

Twilight Infirmity

J44

1.1

1.2

L - Unclassified

Unclassified

X99

1.7

1.6

Percentage of all households - 1.7%

Percentage of SHS households - 1.6%

Totals

100%

100%

* The 'descriptors' are those used by Experian and reflect the marketing origins of the MOSAIC classification system.

Page updated: Monday, July 30, 2007