Super Output Areas were designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics and are built up from groups of output areas (OA). Statistics for lower layer super output areas (LSOA) and middle layer super output areas (MSOA) were originally released in 2004 for England and Wales. A Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) is a geographic area. MSOAs are a geographic hierarchy designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics in England and Wales. MSOAs are built from groups of contiguous LSOAs.