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Back to Exploring data online

Online tools for exploring data

Explore data online using these tools

We provide a suite of online tools, so you can explore the data held in our collection, including survey data, qualitative data and census microdata.

Nesstar

Nesstar enables you to search, browse, visualise, analyse and download a selected range of different kinds of social and economic data, from survey data to multidimensional tables.

Access Nesstar.
Video tutorial on Using Nesstar to download a subset of data.
How to weight survey data in Nesstar video guide.
More information on researching survey data.

Users may find that Nesstar performs best when opened with Firefox, and we advise you to log in to your UK Data Service account before trying to use the analysis tools.

The Variable and question bank

The Variable and question bank (VQB) is the UK Data Service’s search and browse interface for survey variables and questions. Use the VQB to identify which survey datasets contain questions or variables of interest to you.

Further information on how to use the Variable and question bank.

QualiBank

QualiBank is the UK Data Service’s search and browse interface for qualitative data objects allowing searching of the content of text files, such as interviews, essays, open ended questions and reports.

InFuse

Infuse is an open standards structure developed by the UK Data Service to provide easy access to aggregate data from the UK 2011 and 2001 censuses.

Access Infuse.
Infuse user guide.

Casweb

Casweb is an interface that provides access to census data from 1971 to 2001.

Access Casweb.
Casweb user guide.

GeoConvert

GeoConvert is a tool that makes it easy to match UK postcodes, census geographies and convert data between them.

Acces GeoConvert.
GeoConvert user guides and tutorials.

CKAN

CKAN provides access to open UK census aggregate data from 1971 to 2011. Data from the 2021 and 2022 censuses will be made available here shortly after its release. CKAN also contains open boundary and flow data for 2011 and deprivation data.

Access CKAN.

WICID

WICID is a flexible interface providing access to flow data from the census. These data contain counts which are linked to an origin and destination, such as migration or commuting flows.

Access WICID.
WICID user guide.

Boundary data tools

Through our census support, we provide a selection of tools to enable you to easily analyse census boundary data.

Links to a selection of the most popular boundary datasets for countries in the United Kingdom.
Boundary Data Selector interface.
Postcode directories.
Postcode data selector.