Degree of urbanisation according to population density, 1st variant

The term ‘urbanisation’ has been introduced for the needs of the European Statistical System to indicate the characteristics of the respondent’s area. The definition of “Degree of Urbanisation” is based on the criterion of geographical proximity together with population limits. The grade was defined in 2005 (re)based on the basis of the 2001 population census. The group of connected ‘local areas’ consists of a ‘area’, where the ‘local area’ in the territory of the Slovak Republic corresponds to municipalities and towns. Three types of areas have been identified: densely populated, middle (intermediate) and sparsely populated (thinly-populated). In the form of social exclusion, there are significant differences between urban and rural areas. For example, housing costs tend to be higher in urban areas, while the availability of basic services and opportunities for social and cultural participation may be more limited in rural areas. The problem of vandalism and crime tends to be predominant in urban areas. Measuring the extent of urbanisation of areas is therefore important in analyses of social statistics.