Regional statistical grid units: ETRS-LAEA grid

Regional statistical grid units are placed over the entire territory of Austria. The grids are independent of administrative boundaries and therefore allow a more objective delimitation of areas. Because of their small scale, spatial distributions can be more easily identified. STATISTICS AUSTRIA provides two grid systems for Austria: a grid specific to Austria based on the Lambert projection and a pan-European grid based on the ETRS-LAEA projection in line with the EU's INSPIRE directive. Both grid systems are currently being run in parallel, but all new data made available in future will be based on the ETRS-LAEA grid.

ETRS-LAEA grid

As defined in the data specifications on grid systems set out in the EU's INSPIRE directive this grid is based on the LAEA projection, with the centre of the projection at the point 10°E 52°N parallel to the degree of longitude 10°E and parallel to the degree of latitude 52°N. A standardised European projection system is particularly advantageous for exchanging geodata in the EU since this data therefore no longer needs to go through a complex conversion process. It also facilitates the small-scale presentation and evaluation of cross-border data in Europe. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) will also provide data based on this grid in future. An exception is the 250m grid, which the BMLFUW supplies with a resolution of 200m.

Available Data

The grid sizes available are 100m, 250m, 500m, 1 000m, 2 000m, 5 000m and 10 000m.

Statistics Austria currently offers data on the state of the population as at 1 January 2011 with the following attributes: gender, age groups, country of birth, citizenship. Selected content (currently: number of persons with main residence) is available from a grid size of 100m. Detailed characteristics are only provided from a grid size of 250m.

For data protection reasons, characteristics on such samples are only given where the grid cells are sufficiently populated. The following data protection thresholds apply: characteristics relating to people with their main residence (e.g. marital status) are only passed on if there are at least 31 people with their main residence in a grid cell. If the data refers to buildings (e.g. building usage), there must be at least four buildings in the grid cell. Dwelling characteristics (e.g. fixtures category) are only passed on if there are at least four dwellings per grid cell.

Orders

Please e-mail or fax any orders for data for which a fee is payable to:

Ingrid Kaminger  
Tel.: + 43 (1) 71128-7773  
FAX: + 43 (1) 712 86 22  
Ingrid.Kaminger@statistik.gv.at

Terms of use

In terms of using data based on regional statistical grid units, Statistics Austria differentiates between internal use, commercial use excluding resale and commercial use including resale. In order to use the data, the customer must sign the relevant Terms of use (PDF, 125 KB). The data may only be used within the scope of the agreed use.

Geodata (excluding attribute data)

The geometry of the LAEA grid was converted to MGI-Lambert to facilitate processing and intersection with the other Austrian geodata. The original LAEA grid is available on request.

Description of the geodata

• Grid: grid geometry as a polygon file
• Centres: centres of the grids as a point file
• Grid centres – settlement focal points: Unlike the centres, focal points for each grid cell are calculated from the coordinates of the objects for this purpose.
• Table of grid centres – municipalities: A municipality is assigned to all grid centres.
• Grid centres – settlement focal points for municipalities: A municipality is assigned to all grid centres – settlement focal points.