Geodemographic classifications are used to understand social phenomena. Within the private sector, for business planning accounting for underlying spatial differences in economic, social and demographic composition of geographical areas. In the public sector geodemographics is used in health, local governance and social research. Bespoke geodemographic systems help public health authorities to target neighbourhoods most at need of health campaigns. Geodemographic classifications are invariably cross-sectional and static. Having comparable geodemographic classifications over a period of time will help demonstrate changes in socio-economic and demographic structures. A time-comparable geodemographic scheme can bring out changes in multivariable compositional characteristics which are otherwise hidden by cross-sectional measures. This paper reports on variable selection, the conversion of inputs to a consistent geography and the creation of directly comparable geodemographic classifications of small areas across England and Wales for 1991, 2001 and 2011. Changes and stability in area characteristics are then analysed. The results show that most neighbourhoods are allocated into the same area type over time. Where there is change, this can be themed as: Socio-economic polarisation, characterised by a decrease in neighbourhoods found in the middle of the socio-economic spectrum, with an increase in number of areas at either end; Growth in the number of neighbourhoods with non-White ethnic residents, mainly Black ethnic minorities and Asian based communities and; Reorganisation and increase in classifications relating to urban areas, signalling development or growth of metropolitan areas.

地理人口分类用于理解社会现象。在私营部门内部，用于业务规划时应考虑地理区域经济，社会和人口构成中潜在的空间差异。在公共部门，人口统计被用于卫生，地方治理和社会研究。定制的地理人口统计系统可以帮助公共卫生当局确定最需要开展健康运动的社区。地理人口统计分类始终是截面的和静态的。在一段时间内具有可比较的地理人口统计分类将有助于证明社会经济和人口结构的变化。时间可比的人口统计学方案可以带来多变量组成特征的变化，这些变化否则会被横截面测量所掩盖。本文报告了变量选择，将输入转换为一致的地理区域以及在1991、2001和2011年创建英格兰和威尔士小区域直接可比的地理人口统计分类的方法。然后分析了区域特征的变化和稳定性。结果表明，随着时间的推移，大多数邻域被分配到相同的区域类型。在发生变化的地方，可以将其定为：社会经济两极分化，特征是在社会经济谱中部发现的社区减少，两端的区域数量增加；非白人居民，主要是黑人少数族裔和亚裔社区的社区数量增加；以及 重组并增加与城市地区有关的分类，