Ageing in Place Classification: Creating a geodemographic classification for the ageing population in England

Abstract

Population ageing is one of the most significant demographic changes underway in many countries. Far from being a homogenous group, older people and their experiences of ageing are diverse. A better understanding of the characteristics and geography of the older population, including the older workforce, is important. It allows policymakers and stakeholders to better adapt to the opportunities and challenges that the ageing population brings. This paper describes the implementation of the Ageing in Place Classification (AiPC) in England. AiPC is a multidimensional geodemographic classification, and it employs a wide range of spatially representative attributes of older people’s sociodemographic characteristics and their living environment at the small area level. The openly available product provides valuable insights that can be implemented in both local and national contexts, in particular to improve service delivery and inform targeted policy interventions. AiPC is readily updateable with the arrival of new Census data; the concept and framework are also transferable to other countries.