Understanding the size and spatial distribution of material stocks is crucial for sustainable resource management and climate change mitigation. This study presents high-resolution maps of buildings and mobility infrastructure stocks for the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (IRL) at 10 m, combining satellite-based Earth observations, OpenStreetMaps, and material intensities research. Stocks in the UK and IRL amount to 19.8 Gigatons or 279 tons/cap, predominantly aggregate, concrete and bricks, as well as various metals and timber. Building stocks per capita are surprisingly similar across medium to high population density, with only the lowest population densities having substantially larger per capita stocks. Infrastructure stocks per capita decrease with higher population density. Interestingly, for a given building stock within an area, infrastructure stocks are substantially larger in IRL than in the UK. These maps can provide useful insights for sustainable urban planning and advancing a circular economy.

This dataset features a detailed map of material stocks in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on a 10m grid based on high resolution Earth Observation data (Sentinel-1 + Sentinel-2), crowd-sourced geodata (OSM) and material intensity factors.

Spatial extent
This dataset covers the whole British Isles. Due to processing reasons, the dataset is internally structured into the Island of Ireland, and the Island of Great Britain.

Temporal extent
The map is representative for ca. 2018.

Data format
The data are organized by nations. Within each nation, data are split into 100km x 100km tiles (EQUI7 grid), and mosaics are provided.

Within each tile, images for area, volume, and mass at 10m spatial resolution are provided. Units are m², m³, and t, respectively. Each metric is split into buildings, other, rail and street (note: In the paper, other, rail, and street stocks are subsumed to mobility infrastructure). Each category is further split into subcategories (e.g. building types).

Additionally, a grand total of all stocks is provided at multiple spatial resolutions and units, i.e.

• t at 10m x 10m
• kt at 100m x 100m
• Mt at 1km x 1km
• Gt at 10km x 10km

For each nation, mosaics of all above-described data are provided in GDAL VRT format, which can readily be opened in most Geographic Information Systems. File paths are relative, i.e. DO NOT change the file structure or file naming.

Additionally, the grand total mass per nation is tabulated for each island in mass_grand_total_t_10m2.tif.csv. County code and the ID in this table can be related via zones_name_pop.csv.

Material layers
Note that material-specific layers are not included in this repository because of upload limits. Only the totals are provided (i.e. the sum over all materials).

Further information
For further information, please see the publication.
Visit our website to learn more about our project MAT_STOCKS - Understanding the Role of Material Stock Patterns for the Transformation to a Sustainable Society.

Publication

D. Wiedenhofer, F. Schug, H. Gauch, M. Lanau, M. Drewniok, A. Baumgart, D. Virág, H. Watt, A. Cabrera Serrenho, D. Densley Tingley, H. Haberl, D. Frantz (2024): Mapping material stocks of buildings and mobility infrastructure in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 206, 107630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107630

Funding
This research was primarly funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (MAT_STOCKS, grant agreement No 741950).

Acknowledgments
We thank the European Space Agency and the European Commission for freely and openly sharing Sentinel imagery; Microsoft for Building Footprints; Geofabrik and all contributors for OpenStreetMap.This dataset was partly produced on EODC - we thank Clement Atzberger for supporting the generation of this dataset by sharing disc space on EODC, and Wolfgang Wagner for granting access to preprocessed Sentinel-1 data.

Spatial coverage index compiled by East View Geospatial of set "United Kingdom and Ireland 1:1,584,000 Scale Geologic Map". Source data from OSI (publisher). Type: Geoscientific - Geology. Scale: 1:1,584,000. Region: Europe.

This dataset consists of a 25m resolution raster version of the Land Cover Map 2000 for Northern Ireland. Each 25m pixel represents a 25m area of land cover target class, broadly representing Broad Habitats (see below). The dataset is part of a series of data products produced by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology known as LCM2000. LCM2000 is a parcel-based thematic classification of satellite image data covering the entire United Kingdom. LCM2000 is derived from a computer classification of satellite scenes obtained mainly from Landsat, IRS and SPOT sensors and also incorporates information derived from other ancillary datasets. LCM2000 was classified using a nomenclature corresponding to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Broad Habitats, which encompasses the entire range of UK habitats. In addition, it recorded further detail where possible. The series of LCM2000 products includes vector and raster formats, with a number of different versions containing varying levels of detail and at different spatial resolutions. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/b93de9e7-176b-49cb-92aa-4eccdb72aac1

The Land Cover Map 2024 (UK Land Cover Statistics) dataset summarises the coverage of different land cover types across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, classified into 21 UKCEH land cover classes, based upon Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitats. This data is provided in both .csv and geopackage (vector) formats. Statistics are calculated at country, county, and regional (England only) levels from the Land Cover Map 2024 (10 m classified pixels) datasets for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. A full description of this and all UKCEH LCM2024 products are available from the LCM2024 product documentation. In addition to UKCEH as copyright holders, the Land Cover Map 2024 (UK Land Cover Statistics) products use digital boundary products and reference maps. The source of the data is the Office for National Statistics and they are licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. They contain OS data © Crown copyright and database right [2024]. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0171ccb2-1c0c-404f-b782-e7204a86a92f

This is the land parcel (polygon) dataset for the UKCEH Land Cover Map of 2020 (LCM2020) representing Northern Ireland. It describes Northern Ireland's land cover in 2020 using UKCEH Land Cover Classes, which are based on UK Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitats. A range of land parcel attributes are provided. These include the dominant UKCEH Land Cover Class given as an integer value and a range of per-parcel pixel statistics to help assess classification confidence and accuracy; for a full explanation please refer to the dataset documentation accompanying this dataset. LCM2020 represents a suite of geospatial land cover datasets (raster and polygon) describing the UK land surface in 2020. These were produced at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology by classifying satellite images from 2020. These are one of a series of UKCEH land cover maps, which began with the 1990 Land Cover Map of Great Britain (now usually referred to as LCM1990) followed by UK-wide land cover maps in 2000, 2007, 2015 and annually since 2017. This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability.

United Kingdom Imports from Ireland of Maps, Hydrographic or Similar Charts (Printed) was US$90.44 Thousand during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United Kingdom Imports from Ireland of Maps, Hydrographic or Similar Charts (Printed) - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on November of 2025.

LCM2007 is a parcel-based thematic classification of satellite image data covering the entire United Kingdom. The map updates and upgrades the Land Cover Map of Great Britain (LCMGB) 1990 and LCM2000. Like the earlier 1990 and 2000 products, LCM2007 is derived from a computer classification of satellite scenes obtained mainly from Landsat, IRS and SPOT sensors. It also covers Northern Ireland and incorporates information derived from other ancillary datasets. LCM2007 was classified using a nomenclature corresponding to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Broad Habitats, which encompasses the entire range of UK habitats. In addition, it recorded further detail where possible, incorporating land cover classes sought by other users. LCM2007 is produced in both vector and raster formats, with a number of different versions containing varying levels of detail and at different spatial resolutions. Dataset consists of vector version, with polygons as classified (Northern Ireland only). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/fdc3fd67-a0bc-4e94-950e-9cabd4e636bb

Bedrock is the solid rock at or below the land surface. Over much of Ireland, the bedrock is covered by materials such as soil and gravel. The Bedrock map shows what the land surface of Ireland would be made up of if these materials were removed. As the bedrock is commonly covered, bedrock maps are an interpretation of the available data. Geologists map and record information on the composition and structure of rock outcrops (rock which can be seen on the land surface) and boreholes (a deep narrow round hole drilled in the ground). Areas are drawn on a map to show the distribution of rocks. To produce this dataset, the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) bedrock geology 1:500,000 and 1:100,000 maps were generalised. The Northern Irish data was generalised using the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) 1:250,000 bedrock geology map. The UK data was generalised using the British Geological Survey (BGS) 1:650,000 bedrock geology map. This map is to the scale 1:1,250,000. When printed at that scale 1cm on the map relates to a distance of 12.5km.The map is intended to be used as a teaching resource.

United Kingdom Exports of maps, hydrographic or similar charts (printed) to Ireland was US$359.15 Thousand during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United Kingdom Exports of maps, hydrographic or similar charts (printed) to Ireland - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on December of 2025.

This 1 km summary pixel data set represents the land surface of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, classified using two classification schemas, target and aggregate classes. The target class schema comprise 21 UKCEH land cover classes based upon Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitats. The aggregate class schema comprises 10 aggregate classes that are groupings of the 21 target classes. The aggregate classes group some of the more specialised target classes into more general classes. For example, the five coastal classes in the target class are grouped into a single aggregate class. The 1km percentage product provides the percentage cover for each of the 21 land cover classes for 1km x 1km pixels. This product contains one band per habitat class, producing 21 and 10 band images for the target and aggregate class products respectively. The 1km dominant coverage product is based on the 1km percentage product, and reports the land cover class with the highest percentage cover for each 1km pixel. A full description of this and all UKCEH LCM2023 products are available from the LCM2023 product documentation accompanying this dataset. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/96bc980a-31b4-4d1b-87e9-007d4932a56b

The 1885 UK parliamentary constituencies for Ireland were re-created in 2017 as part of a conference paper delivered at the Southern Irish Loyalism in Context conference at Maynooth University. The intial map only included the territory of the Irish Free State and was created by Martin Charlton and Jack Kavanagh. The remaining six counties of Ulster were completed by Eoin McLaughlin in 2018-19, the combined result is a GIS map of all the parliamentary constituecies across the island of Ireland for the period 1885-1918. The map is available in both ESRI Shapefile format and as a GeoPackage (GPKG). The methodology for creating the constituencies is outlined in detail below.

Methodology

A map showing the outlines of the 1855 – 1918 Constituency boundaries can be found on page 401 of Parliamentary Elections in Ireland, 1801-1922 (Dublin, 1978) by Brian Walker. This forms the basis for the creation of a set of digital boundaries which can then be used in a GIS. The general workflow involves allocating an 1885 Constituency identifier to each of the 309 Electoral Divisions present in the boundaries made available for the 2011 Census of Population data release by CSO. The ED boundaries are available in ‘shapefile’ format (a de facto standard for spatial data transfer). Once a Constituency identifier has been given to each ED, the GIS operation known as ‘dissolve’ is used to remove the boundaries between EDs in the same Constituency. To begin with Walker’s map was scanned at 1200 dots per inch in JPEG form. A scanned map cannot be linked to other spatial data without undergoing a process known as georeferencing. The CSO boundaries are available with spatial coordinates in the Irish National Grid system. The goal of georeferencing is to produce a rectified version of the map together with a world file. Rectification refers to the process of recomputing the pixel positions in the scanned map so that they are oriented with the ING coordinate system; the world file contains the extent in both the east-west and north-south directions of each pixel (in metres) and the coordinates of the most north-westerly pixel in the rectified image.

Georeferencing involves the identification of Ground Control Points – these are locations on the scanned map for which the spatial coordinates in ING are known. The Georeferencing option in ArcGIS 10.4 makes this a reasonably pain free task. For this map 36 GCPs were required for a local spline transformation. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provides the legal basis for the constituencies to be used for future elections in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Part III of the Seventh Schedule of the Act defines the Constituencies in terms of Baronies, Parishes (and part Parishes) and Townlands for Ireland. Part III of the Sixth Schedule provides definitions for the Boroughs of Belfast and Dublin.

The CSO boundary collection also includes a shapefile of Barony boundaries. This makes it possible code a barony in two ways: (i) allocated completely to a Division or (ii) split between two Divisions. For the first type, the code is just the division name, and for the second the code includes both (or more) division names. Allocation of these names to the data in the ED shapefile is accomplished by a spatial join operation. Recoding the areas in the split Baronies is done interactively using the GIS software’s editing option. EDs or groups of EDs can be selected on the screen, and the correct Division code updated in the attribute table. There are a handful of cases where an ED is split between divisions, so a simple ‘majority’ rule was used for the allocation. As the maps are to be used at mainly for displaying data at the national level, a misallocation is unlikely to be noticed. The final set of boundaries was created using the dissolve operation mentioned earlier. There were a dozen ED that had initially escaped being allocated a code, but these were quickly updated. Similarly, a few of the EDs in the split divisions had been overlooked; again updating was painless. This meant that the dissolve had to be run a few more times before all the errors have been corrected.

For the Northern Ireland districts, a slightly different methodology was deployed which involved linking parishes and townlands along side baronies, using open data sources from the OSM Townlands.ie project and OpenData NI.

The data shows superficial polygons, bedrock polygons and fault linear geological information, sourced from published Geological Survey of Northern Ireland 1:250 000 scale maps - superficial (Quaternary 1991) and bedrock (Solid 1997). Full Northern Ireland coverage is available (Bedrock extends west into RI). The data is available in vector format. BGS licensing terms and conditions apply to external use of the data. New version available: 1:250K Geological Maps of Northern Ireland version 2

This dataset consists of the vector version of the Land Cover Map 2000 for Northern Ireland, containing individual parcels of land cover (the highest available resolution). Level 2 & Level 3 attributes are available. Level 2, the standard level of detail, provides 26 LCM2000 target or ('sub') classes. This is the most widely used version of the dataset. Level 3 gives higher class detail. However, the quality of this level of detail may vary in different areas of the country, requiring expert interpretation. The dataset is part of a series of data products produced by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology known as LCM2000. LCM2000 is a parcel-based thematic classification of satellite image data covering the entire United Kingdom. LCM2000 is derived from a computer classification of satellite scenes obtained mainly from Landsat, IRS and SPOT sensors and also incorporates information derived from other ancillary datasets. LCM2000 was classified using a nomenclature corresponding to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Broad Habitats, which encompasses the entire range of UK habitats. In addition, it recorded further detail where possible. The series of LCM2000 products includes vector and raster formats, with a number of different versions containing varying levels of detail and at different spatial resolutions. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/9f043047-d1c7-4852-b513-aa00204022a8

The 1:250k Geological Maps of Northern Ireland comprise the Superficial Deposits Map (Drift, 1991) and the Bedrock Map (Solid Geology, 1997). These maps identify landscape areas based on their lithology. The scale of the maps is 1:250 000 and provides a simplified interpretation of the geology that may be used as a guide at a regional level, but should not be relied on for local geology. Superficial deposits are younger geological deposits formed during the most recent geological time; the Quaternary. These deposits rest on older rocks or deposits referred to as bedrock. The superficial deposits theme defines landscape areas with a geological name and their deposit-type or lithological composition. The Superficial map shows the deposits within the extent of the six Counties of Northern Ireland. The Bedrock map comprises the bedrock geology and contains dykes and geological faults. Bedrock geology describes the main mass of solid rocks forming the earth's crust. Bedrock is present everywhere, whether exposed at surface in outcrops or concealed beneath superficial deposits or water bodies. Geological names are based on the lithostratigraphic or lithodemic hierarchy of the rocks. The lithostratigraphic scheme arranges rock bodies into units based on rock-type and geological time of formation. Where rock-types do not fit into the lithostratigraphic scheme, for example intrusive, deformed rocks subjected to heat and pressure resulting in new or changed rock types; then their classification is based on their rock-type or lithological composition. This assesses visible features such as texture, structure, mineralogy. Dykes defines small, narrow areas of a specific type of bedrock geology; that is igneous rocks which have been intruded into the landscape at a later date than the surrounding bedrock. Geological faults occur where a body of bedrock has been fractured and displaced by large scale processes affecting the earth's crust (tectonic forces). The Bedrock map shows the main bedrock geological divisions in Northern Ireland and coverage extends to the west into the Republic of Ireland. The printed map includes a stratigraphic column. Digital datasets have been derived from the maps and comprise three layers. 1. Superficial polygons, 2. Bedrock polygons and 3. Linear features. Attribute tables describe the polygon features. These data are generalised and superseded by the 1:10k Geological Maps of Northern Ireland.

LCM2007 is a parcel-based thematic classification of satellite image data covering the entire United Kingdom. The map updates and upgrades the Land Cover Map of Great Britain (LCMGB) 1990 and LCM2000. Like the earlier 1990 and 2000 products, LCM2007 is derived from a computer classification of satellite scenes obtained mainly from Landsat, IRS and SPOT sensors. It also covers Northern Ireland and incorporates information derived from other ancillary datasets. LCM2007 was classified using a nomenclature corresponding to Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Broad Habitats, which encompasses the entire range of UK habitats. In addition, it records further detail where possible, incorporating land cover classes sought by other users. LCM2007 is produced in both vector and raster formats, with a number of different versions containing varying levels of detail and at different spatial resolutions. Product consists of the dominant Target Class per 1km square, raster dataset (Northern Ireland only).

This dataset consists of a 1km resolution raster version of the Land Cover Map 2000 for Northern Ireland. Each 1km pixel represents the dominant target class (or 'sub class') across the 1km area. The target classes broadly represent Broad Habitats (see below). The dataset is part of a series of data products produced by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology known as LCM2000. LCM2000 is a parcel-based thematic classification of satellite image data covering the entire United Kingdom. LCM2000 is derived from a computer classification of satellite scenes obtained mainly from Landsat, IRS and SPOT sensors and also incorporates information derived from other ancillary datasets. LCM2000 was classified using a nomenclature corresponding to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Broad Habitats, which encompasses the entire range of UK habitats. In addition, it recorded further detail where possible. The series of LCM2000 products includes vector and raster formats, with a number of different versions containing varying levels of detail and at different spatial resolutions.

The AFBI Soil Geochemical map of total potassium (aqua regia digestion, mg/kg) for Northern Ireland is a 1km grid map, interpolated (using kriging) from over 6000 topsoil samples.

Data sources: England & Wales - Office for National Statistics (ONS)Scotland - National Records of Scotland (NRS)Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)Coverage: United Kingdom The boundaries used have been generalised using a point remove algorithm for web display using the following thresholds:Euro Regions - 250 metres Local Authorities - 150 metres Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) - 100 metres Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) - 75 metres Output Area (OA) - 50 metres The boundaries have been set to display at the following scale thresholds: Euro Regions - > 1:4,000,000 Local Authorities - 1:300,000 – 1:4,000,000 Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) - 1:100,000 – 1:300,000 Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) - 1:40,000 – 1:100,000 Output Area (OA) - < 1:40,000The currency of this data is 2011.

1:1.5M scale 'Geology Through Climate Change' poster map covering UK mainland, Northern Ireland and Eire. This poster map shows the rocks of Britain and Ireland in a new way, grouped and coloured according to the environment under which they were formed. Photographs illustrate modern-day environments, alongside images of the typical rock types which are formed in them. The ages of the rocks are shown in a timeline, which also shows global temperatures and sea levels changing through time. The changing positions of Britain and Ireland as they drifted northwards through geological time are illustrated too. It was jointly produced by the BGS, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and the Geological Survey of Ireland. It has been endorsed by a range of teaching organisations including WJEC (previously the Welsh Joint Education Committee), OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations), The Association of Teaching Organisations of Ireland and the Earth Science Teachers Association. Although primarily intended as a teaching resource, the poster map will be of interest to anyone seeking to understand the imprint geological time has left in the rocks of our islands. This poster map is free, all you pay is the postage and packing.

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows two condensed maps which use dots and proportional circles to illustrate the distribution of population of French and British origin, respectively, according to the 1951 census of Canada. Each map is accompanied by a pie chart which shows the British origin and French origin percentage population distribution by province and territory. For Canadian census purposes, a person's origin or cultural group is traced through the father to the paternal ancestor on first arrival to this continent. The term 'British' embraces all those of British Isles origin, that is, it includes those from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland.