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Public Use Files

Description of the service

Micro-data files with strong protection against disclosure, one type of which, the sample file, supports research work in the secure environment of the HCSO, while the other supports teaching work.

Who can use it?

Anyone. Access is always subject to acceptance of the terms of use published on the HCSO website.

Form documents

Types of Public Use Files

Sample files

Sample files are public use files that have a structure that is identical to the structure of the micro-data sets available in the HCSO Safe Centre. Their purpose is to support research work (notably the preliminary writing of program codes).

The data content of the sample files can be either synthetic data or real data protected by strong statistical disclosure control. In the sample files, each variable takes real values corresponding to the set of values of the raw file. Consistent with their purpose, logical relationships between variables are not satisfied for sample files. This means that the files are not representative of any of the variables included.

It follows from this that the sample files are completely unsuitable for analytical and research purposes, for drawing meaningful conclusions, and are only of assistance in the preparation of program files.

The sample files are available in the Safe Centre Files menu.

Files for educational purposes

Educational files are public use files with strong statistical disclosure control, containing some selected variables or variables created based on information stored in the raw microdata sets available in the internal safe environment of the HCSO.

Files for educational purposes are suitable for analyse relationships between variables, but are typically unsuitable for research purposes.

Educational micro-data file and associated files generated from the 2022 Census data file: