Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection: 2011 – England and Wales
The AD|ARC (Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection) datasets link information on farm business activities with data about the people in households who operate and generally live on farms. All records are de-identified.
The datasets also include three control groups of non-farming individuals, and a control group of households, living in similarly rural areas.
Research using the data will enable better understanding of the demographic, health, education and economic characteristics of households associated with different types and sizes of farm business. This will provide new insights for decision makers to improve agricultural and rural policies and enhance the wellbeing of farmers and their households.
The data linkage is the result of a collaboration between government and academic organisations across the UK, including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Public Health Wales.
While data currently available only covers England and Wales, it is anticipated that data for Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow. Methods for cross-UK federated analysis are in development.
AD|ARC: 2011 currently includes two datasets which are each available for access by accredited researchers:
- Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection: 2011 – England
- Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection: 2011 – Wales.
Related datasets
Versions of AD|ARC are also available containing the 2021 Census for England and Wales, and the 2011 Census for Northern Ireland.
- Find out more about AD|ARC: 2021 – England and Wales
- Find out more about AD|ARC: 2011 – Northern Ireland.
Component datasets and linkage
AD|ARC links de-identified electronic records that are already collected by departments and public bodies across the governments of the UK. The datasets included in AD|ARC 2011 are: 2010 EU Farm Structure Surveys (England and Wales), 2010 Rural Payments subsidy data (England and Wales), 2011 Census of Population (England and Wales), Inter-Departmental Business Register (currently England only; Wales can be linked separately. Dates vary by dataset). Additional de-identified health and education datasets held by the various government administrations in the UK may be linked in future where available and where appropriate legal gateways exist.
| Timeframe | 2006 - 2018 (varies by dataset) |
|---|---|
| Update Frequency | Currently static |
| Population | Individuals living in farming households in England and Wales claiming SPS 2010 subsidy payments; control groups of non-farming individuals living in similarly rural areas. |
| Coverage | England and Wales. The AD|ARC dataset for Northern Ireland is also available, and Scotland will follow. |
| Size | England 2011: Approx. 170,000 individuals resident in approx. 60,000 farms claiming subsidies in England. Wales 2011: Approx. 50,000 individuals resident in approx. 18,000 farming households claiming subsidies in Wales. |
Examples of research questions
Examples of research questions the data could be used to address:
- What are the characteristics of farming households that receive farm subsidies?
- Is the educational attainment of farmers uniform and is it different from non-farming rural contemporaries?
- How important is farm income as a share of total household income? Does this vary depending on different farm business, household socio-economic, and spatial attributes?
- What effect does being part of a farm household have on health and wellbeing outcomes, and does this vary by farm characteristics?
The above list is illustrative only and intended to demonstrate the research potential of the dataset. For AD|ARC’s research priorities, please see the areas of research interest and priority research questions for AD|ARC.
Core documentation
Other supporting resources
Resource | Description |
Census statistics help paint a picture of the nation and how we live. Find out more about the 2011 Census on the ONS website.
| |
The Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) is a comprehensive list of UK businesses used by government for statistical purposes. | |
This survey obtains reliable data, at regular intervals, on the structure of agricultural holdings in the EU. | |
Rural Payments subsidy data | Find out more about the Rural Payments subsidy data for England and Wales. Please note that Rural Payments are a devolved issue so what is collected and by whom varies across the UK. |
The project website including publications, documentation and news. |
Accessing the data
Access the AD|ARC England dataset via the ONS Secure Research Service. To do this:
1. Apply to become an accredited researcher under the Digital Economy Act 2017
- Apply for researcher accreditation through the ONS People & Projects Service.
2. Apply for an accredited research project
- Submit an application to the Project Accreditation Service for the ONS SRS.
3. Access the data securely
The options that are expected to be available to access this dataset are:
- Assured Organisational Connectivity – the ability to access the ONS Secure Research Service from your office or home. Check what arrangements your institution already has or can put in place.
- SafePod Network– a small, self-contained secure room with a single workstation
- Safe Rooms – based in ONS offices in Titchfield and Newport, open Monday-Friday, 9.00-16.00.
Access the AD|ARC Wales Dataset via the SAIL Databank. Researchers who are fully accredited under the Digital Economy Act (2017) can apply for access.
More information on how to access the AD|ARC Wales dataset will be available soon. Please contact adrwales@gov.wales with any questions.
Find out more
You can find more information about the AD|ARC project and datasets on the AD|ARC Website, the AD|ARC project page, and via the ADR UK YouTube Channel.
The linked datasets are accessible separately within the ONS Secure Research Service for England, the SAIL Databank for Wales and will be made available via NISRA in Northern Ireland and Scotland’s National Safe Haven. Information about access points for each trusted research environment is available via the ADR UK website.
