International geographies

To distinguish the replacement UK classification from its EU predecessor, the UK-managed classification is referred to as International Territorial Levels (ITLs) and adopts a convention used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. These ITLs therefore align with international standards, enabling comparability internationally. 

The ITLs have been established as a mirror to the previous Eurostat NUTS system used by the UK and will follow a similar timetable to the review of the NUTS system, meaning ITLs will be reviewed roughly every three years. 

There have been several changes to the 2025 ITL boundaries, primarily ensuring that ITLs continue to fall within the population thresholds, that (where possible) English ITL2 boundaries align with Combined Authorities, that Welsh ITL boundaries better reflect local areas, and that Scottish ITL boundaries more closely align with administrative geographies. For more detail, please refer to the International, regional and city statistics page.

Previous iterations of NUTS and the 2021 ITLs remain available to be downloaded on the ONS Open Geography Portal. It is anticipated that the next update to ITLs will be at the start of 2027.

Within the UK, three International Territorial Levels (ITLs) are determined as follows.

ITL areas are stable and will only be amended periodically.

England

• ITL 1: Regions

• ITL 2: Counties, Combined Authorities and groups of counties

• ITL 3: Counties and groups of unitary authorities

Scotland

• ITL 1: Scotland

• ITL 2: Combinations of council areas, and parts thereof

• ITL 3: Combinations of council areas, and parts thereof

Wales

• ITL 1: Wales

• ITL 2: Groups of unitary authorities

• ITL 3: Groups of unitary authorities

Northern Ireland

• ITL 1: Northern Ireland

• ITL 2: Northern Ireland

• ITL 3: Local government districts

UK total

In the UK in total there are:

• 12 ITLs 1

• 46 ITLs 2

• 182 ITLs 3

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

North East (England) is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas within the North East (England) are Tees Valley and Durham, and Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.

These two ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Tees Valley and Durham

• Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees
• South Teesside
• Darlington
• Durham

Northumberland and Tyne and Wear

• Northumberland
• Tyneside
• Sunderland

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

North West (England) is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in the North West (England) are Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Cheshire.

These five ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Cumbria

• Cumberland

• Westmorland and Furness

Lancashire

• Lancaster and Wyre

• Blackpool

• Mid Lancashire

• Chorley and West Lancashire

• Blackburn with Darwen

• East Lancashire

Merseyside

• Sefton

• Wirral

• Liverpool

• East Merseyside

Greater Manchester

• Greater Manchester North West

• Greater Manchester North East

• Greater Manchester South West

• Manchester

• Greater Manchester South East

Cheshire

• Warrington

• Cheshire West and Chester

• Cheshire East

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

Yorkshire and The Humber is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in Yorkshire and The Humber are North Yorkshire; West Yorkshire; East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire; and South Yorkshire.

These four ITL 2 areas are subdivided into the following ITL 3 areas.

North Yorkshire

• North Yorkshire CC

• York

West Yorkshire

• Bradford

• Leeds

• Calderdale and Kirklees

• Wakefield

East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire

• East Riding of Yorkshire

• Kingston upon Hull, City of

• North and North East Lincolnshire

South Yorkshire

• Barnsley

• Doncaster

• Sheffield

• Rotherham

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

East Midlands (England) is one of 12 ITL level 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas within the East Midlands (England) are Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire; Lincolnshire; and Leicestershire Rutland and Northamptonshire.

These three ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

• South and West Derbyshire

• Derby

• East Derbyshire

• North Nottinghamshire

• Nottingham

• South Nottinghamshire

Lincolnshire

• Lincolnshire CC

Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire

• Leicestershire CC and Rutland

• Leicester

• West Northamptonshire

North Northamptonshire

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

West Midlands (England) is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in the West Midlands (England) are Shropshire and Staffordshire; West Midlands; and Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

These three ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Shropshire and Staffordshire

• Shropshire

• Telford and Wrekin

• Staffordshire CC

• Stoke-on-Trent

West Midlands

• Wolverhampton

• Walsall

• Dudley

• Sandwell

• Birmingham

• Solihull

• Coventry

Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire

• Herefordshire, County of

• Worcestershire CC

• Warwickshire CC

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

East (England) is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas within the East (England) are Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Norfolk; Suffolk; Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire; and Essex.

These five ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Peterborough

• Cambridgeshire CC

Norfolk

• North and West Norfolk

• Breckland and South Norfolk

• Norwich and East Norfolk

Suffolk

• West Suffolk

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk

• Ipswich

• East Suffolk

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

• Bedford

• Central Bedfordshire

• Luton

• South West Hertfordshire

• North and East Herfordshire

Essex

• West Essex

• Essex Haven Gateway

• Heart of Essex

• Thurrock

• Essex Thames Gateway

• Southend-on-Sea

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

London is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas within London are Inner London - East; Inner London - West; Outer London - East and North East; Outer London - South; and Outer London - West and North West.

These ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Inner London - East

• Haringey and Islington

• Hackney and Newham

• Lambeth

• Lewisham and Southwark

• Tower Hamlets

Inner London - West

• Camden

• Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham

• Wandsworth

• Westminster and City of London

Outer London - East and North East

• Barking and Dagenham, and Havering

• Bexley and Greenwich

• Enfield

• Redbridge and Waltham Forest

Outer London - South

• Bromley

• Croydon

• Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton

Outer London - West and North West

• Barnet

• Brent

• Ealing

• Harrow and Hillingdon

• Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

South East (England) is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in the South East (England) are Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and Kent.

These four ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

• Berkshire
• Milton Keynes
• Buckinghamshire
• Oxfordshire CC

Surrey, East and West Sussex

• Brighton and Hove
• East Surrey
• East Sussex CC
• West Surrey
• West Sussex (North East)
• West Sussex (South West)

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

• Portsmouth
• Southampton
• Isle of Wight
• Central Hampshire
• South Hampshire
• North Hampshire

Kent

• Kent Thames Gateway
• Mid Kent
• West Kent
• East Kent
• Medway

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

South West (England) is one of 12 ITL level 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in the South West (England) are Gloucestershire and Wiltshire; West of England; North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset; Devon; and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

These five ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

• Gloucestershire CC

• Wiltshire

• Swindon

West of England

• Bristol, City of

• Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire

North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset

• North Somerset

• Somerset

• Dorset

• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Devon

• Devon CC

• Plymouth

• Torbay

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

Scotland is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in Scotland are Eastern Scotland; Highlands and Islands; North Eastern Scotland; Southern Scotland; West Central Scotland; and East Central Scotland.

As well as being an ITL2 area, the Highlands and Islands is also an ITL3 area.

These six ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

Eastern Scotland

• Angus and Dundee City

• Clackmannanshire and Fife

• Perth and Kinross, and Stirling

Highlands and Islands

• Highlands and Islands

North Eastern Scotland

• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire

Southern Scotland

• Dumfries and Galloway

• North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire

• Scottish Borders

• South Ayrshire`

• South Lanarkshire

West Central Scotland

• East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire

• Glasgow City

• Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, and Renfrewshire

• North Lanarkshire

East Central Scotland

• City of Edinburgh

• East Lothian and Midlothian

• Falkirk

West Lothian

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

Wales is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

The ITL 2 areas in Wales are North Wales; Mid and South West Wales; and South East Wales.

These three ITL 2 areas are divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

North Wales

• Isle of Anglesey

• Gwynedd

• Conwy and Denbighshire

• Flintshire and Wrexham

Mid and South West Wales

• South West Wales

• Mid Wales

• Neath Port Talbot

• Swansea

South East Wales

• Central Valleys and Bridgend

• Gwent Valleys

• Monmouthshire and Newport

• Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas, used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes.

Northern Ireland is one of 12 ITL 1 areas in the UK.

As well as being a ITL 1 area, Northern Ireland also has the status of a ITL 2 area. Thereafter, it is divided into the following ITL 3 areas.

• Belfast
• Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
• Antrim and Newtownabbey
• Ards and North Down
• Causeway Coast and Glens
• Derry City and Strabane
• Fermanagh and Omagh
• Lisburn and Castlereagh
• Mid Ulster
• Mid and East Antrim
• Newry, Mourne and Down