This dataset provides 2011 Census estimates that classify usual residents aged 16 and over in households in England and Wales by economic activity and by living arrangements. The estimates are as at census day, 27 March 2011.

Information on economic activity status - as defined by the International Labour Organisation - is used by central and local government, researchers and other organisations to understand local labour markets and to develop and monitor policies at local and regional levels. It is used to identify deprived areas, to allocate community and economic development funding, and for housing and transport planning purposes.

Estimates of living arrangements help to identify and understand the changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation and partnerships within households and provide evidence of the experiences for people associated with different arrangements that can help to inform the social inclusion agenda.

Living arrangements differ from marital and civil partnership status because cohabiting takes priority over other categories. For example if a person is divorced and cohabiting, in results for living arrangements, they are classified as cohabiting.

In order to protect against disclosure of personal information from the 2011 Census, there has been swapping of records in the Census database between different geographic areas, and so some counts will be affected. In the main, the greatest effects will be at the lowest geographies, since the record swapping is targeted towards those households with unusual characteristics in small areas.

More details on the ONS Census disclosure control strategy may be found on the Statistical Disclosure Control page on the ONS web site.