DS NUTS > Local administrative units > EN > REVAMP

To meet the demand for statistics at a local level, Eurostat maintains a system of local administrative units (LAUs) compatible with NUTS. These LAUs are the building blocks of the NUTS, and comprise the municipalities and communes of the European Union.

Until 2016, two levels of local administrative units (LAU) existed:

  • the upper LAU level (LAU level 1, formerly NUTS level 4) were defined for most, but not all of the countries;
  • the lower LAU level (LAU level 2, formerly NUTS level 5) consisted of municipalities or equivalent units in the 28 EU Member States.

Since 2017, only one level of LAU has been kept.

The LAUs are:

  • administrative for reasons such as the availability of data and policy implementation capacity
  • a subdivision of the NUTS 3 regions covering the whole economic territory of the Member States
  • appropriate for the implementation of local level typologies included in Tercet, namely the coastal area and DEGURBA classification.

Since there are frequent changes to the LAUs, Eurostat publishes an updated list towards the end of each year.

The NUTS regulation makes provision for EU Member States to send the lists of their LAUs to Eurostat. If available, Eurostat receives additionally basic administrative data by means of the annual LAU lists, namely total population and total area for each LAU.

Correspondence tables Provisional/ Validated Year Files
LAU – NUTS 2021, EU-27 and EFTA / available candidate countries Partially validated 2023
LAU – NUTS 2021, EU-27 and EFTA / available candidate countries Partially validated 2022
LAU – NUTS 2021, EU-27 and EFTA / available candidate countries Partially validated 2021
LAU – NUTS 2016/2021, EU-27, UK and EFTA / available candidate countries Provisional 2020
LAU – NUTS 2016, EU-28 and EFTA / available candidate countries Validated 2019
LAU – NUTS 2016, EU-28 and EFTA / available candidate countries Validated 2018
LAU – NUTS 2016, EU-28 and EFTA / available candidate countries Validated 2017
LAU – NUTS 2013, EU-28 and EFTA / available candidate countries Validated 2017
LAU 2 – NUTS 2013, EU-28 Validated 2016
LAU 2 – NUTS 2013, EU-28 Validated 2015
LAU 2 – NUTS 2013, EU-28 Validated 2014
LAU 2 – NUTS 2013 /NUTS 2010, EU-28 Validated 2013
LAU 2 – NUTS 2010, EU-28 Validated 2012
LAU 2 – NUTS 2010, EU-28 (Census) Validated 2011
LAU 2 – NUTS 2010, EU-27 Validated 2011
LAU 2 – NUTS 2010, EU-27 Validated 2010

LAU components of cities and functional urbean areas

Correspondence tables Provisional / Validated Year Files
CITY – LAU 2021, EU-27 + CH, IS, NO (LAU-sorted) Validated 2021
FUA – LAU 2021, EU-27 + CH, IS, NO (LAU-sorted) Validated 2021
CITY – LAU 2021, EU-27 + CH, IS, NO Validated 2021
FUA – LAU 2021, EU-27 + CH, IS, NO Validated 2021

Historical population data from 1961 to 2011

This project, supported by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, is a specific project that is independent from regular Eurostat population data collection. The data in this collection contain estimates that are not necessarily consistent with official Eurostat figures. Use of the data for non-commercial purposes is allowed, provided that all sources are adequately mentioned. In this data collection, European local administrative unit (LAU), population data has been complied for the period 1961-2011. The data collection covers EU Member States, EFTA countries and certain candidate countries. The spatial level of detail for most countries corresponds to the LAU 2-level, while Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia and Türkiye have LAU-1 coverage. The geoposition and population have been collected for 1 year in each decade. For the sake of comparability, data has been recalculated for the 2011 local administrative boundaries and interpolated for the following dates: 1 January of 1961, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011. From the table below, you can download reports in PDF format and figures in Excel format (zipped files). The downloadable report ‘Population data collection for European local administrative units from 1960 onward’, describes the method used to compile the geo-referenced European LAU population data.

Document Table Links
Population data at LAU level for EU Consolidated tables
Population data at LAU level for individual countries Individual country tables  
Reports Explanatory notes  
Geodata Shapefiles (EL, IE, TR)