Building Age

« Back to Glossary Index

Our building_age dataset is a comprehensive collection of building age information across the UK, containing 32.8 million records. This dataset provides valuable insights into the construction timeline and age distribution of buildings throughout the country.

Dataset Structure

The dataset contains the following key fields:

  • urn: Unique record number
  • change_date: Date of last data update
  • dar/dars: Data address reference identifiers
  • udprn: Unique delivery point reference number
  • full_address: Complete property address
  • postcode: Property postcode
  • age_band: Building age classification
  • source: Data source methodology
Age Band Distribution

The dataset reveals fascinating patterns in UK building construction history:

Most Common Age Bands:
  1. 1950-1966: 4.6M buildings (Post-war reconstruction boom)
  2. 1930-1949: 4.3M buildings (Inter-war and wartime period)
  3. 1900-1929: 4.2M buildings (Early 20th century expansion)
  4. 1967-1975: 3.2M buildings (1960s-70s development)
  5. Before 1900: 2.9M buildings (Victorian and earlier heritage)
Recent Construction:
  • 2019-2025: Over 1.4M new buildings recorded
  • 2003 onwards: Significant modern development activity
  • 1983-1990: 1.7M buildings from the 1980s boom
Data Quality and Sources

The dataset draws from multiple sources with varying reliability:

  • Actual: 13.6M records (41.6%) – Direct verification
  • Derived: 11.6M records (35.5%) – Calculated estimates
  • Reassessed: 7.1M records (21.6%) – Re-evaluated data
  • TBC: 452K records (1.4%) – To be confirmed
Key Insights
  1. Historical Construction Patterns: The data clearly shows major construction booms during post-war reconstruction (1950s-60s) and inter-war periods
  2. Heritage Buildings: Nearly 3 million buildings predate 1900, representing significant historical architecture
  3. Modern Development: Continuous construction activity with detailed year-by-year tracking for recent developments
  4. Geographic Coverage: Comprehensive UK coverage with full address details and postcode information

This dataset is invaluable for urban planning, heritage conservation, energy efficiency assessments, and understanding the UK’s built environment evolution over more than two centuries.

To arrange a demo of the building age dataset and see our other property data contact us

« Back to Glossary Index