Measuring progress - Education

Latest update: January 2024

This indicator is in development which means we do not yet have data to report for this indicator.

We will publish data on this indicator as soon as it becomes available.

This indicator is comprised of seven sub-measures mirroring the National Improvement Framework for Education key measures for monitoring the attainment gap, and covering the key components of Curriculum for Excellence and key stages of school education. These measures are:

• sub-measure 1: percent of primary 1, 4 and 7 pupils attaining expected literacy level
• sub-measure 2: percent of secondary 3 pupils attaining expected literacy level
• sub-measure 3: percent of primary 1, 4 and 7 pupils attaining expected numeracy level
• sub-measure 4: percent of secondary 3 pupils attaining expected numeracy level
• sub-measure 5: percent of school leavers with 1 award or more at SCQF Level 4 or above
• sub-measure 6: percent of school leavers with 1 award or more at SCQF Level 5 or above

• sub-measure 7: percent of school leavers with 1 award or more at SCQF Level 6 or above

   

Literacy and numeracy attainment (sub-measures (i) to (iv):

• Data could not be collected for sub-measures (i) to (iv) for 2019/20 due to the closure of schools resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  Similarly, data could not be collected for sub-measures (ii) and (iv) for 2020/21 due to other pressures on secondary schools resulting from the pandemic.
• For sub-measures (i) and (iii), comparing results for 2020/21 to the last available data (2018/19 ~ pre-pandemic) shows that the proportion of Primary 1, 4 and 7 children (combined) achieving expected levels in literacy decreased by 5.4 percentage points from 72.3% in 2018/19 to 66.9% in 2020/21. The proportion achieving the expected level in numeracy decreased by 4.4 percentage points from 79.1% in 2018/19 to 74.7% in 2020/21.
• For sub-measures (ii) and (iv), the latest data available is for 2018/19. This is pre-pandemic and so does not reflect the impact of school closures and possible associated loss of learning. Between 2017/18 and 2018/19 there were increases in the proportions of Secondary 3 pupils achieving level 3 or better in literacy (up 0.6 percentage points from 87.3% in 2017/18 to 87.9% in 2018/19) and level 3 or better in numeracy (up 1.1 percentage points from 89.0% in 2017/18 to 90.2% in 2018/19).

School leaver attainment data in National Qualifications (sub-measures (v) to (vii)):

• School leaver attainment data is available for 2019/20 and 2020/21. However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to the cancellation of National 5 (SCQF Level 5), Higher (SCQF Level 6) and Advanced Higher (SCQF Level 7) exams in both 2019/20 and 2020/21. Grades in these qualifications were instead based on teacher estimates in 2019/20, and on teacher and lecturer professional judgement of learners’ demonstrated attainment in 2020/21. This will have affected the attainment of some 2019/20 and 2020/21 school leavers.
• In addition, the pandemic may have affected pupils’ decisions on when to leave school (for example, delaying leaving from 2019/20 to 2020/21), which may have affected their attainment. Care must therefore be taken when comparing the attainment of 2020/21 school leavers and 2019/20 school leavers, and when comparing these to the attainment of earlier school leaver cohorts.
• Any changes between the attainment levels of 2020/21 leavers, the 2019/20 leavers, and those of previous years should not be seen as an indication that performance has improved or worsened, without further evidence.

The data shows that:

• 96.2% of 2020/21 school leavers achieved 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 4 or better. This compares to 95.8% in 2019/20. 87.7% achieved 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 or better in 2020/21. This compares to 85.7% in 2019/20.
• At SCQF Level 6 or better, 66.0% of 2020/21 school leavers achieved 1 pass or more. This compares to 63.9% in 2019/20.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by ethnicity, gender, local authority and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. These breakdowns can be viewed on the Equality Evidence Finder and also on the National Performance Framework dataset on statistics.gov.scot

Available data shows that:

• Attainment in each sub-measure varies by ethnic group. Across most measures those in the Asian – Indian and Asian – Chinese groups have relatively high levels of attainment. For example, in 2020/21, 94.7% of Asian – Chinese and 84.9% of Asian - Indian school leavers attained 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 6 or better. This compares to 66.0% across all school leavers.
• Attainment varies by SIMD quintile, with those from the least deprived areas having higher levels of attainment than those from the most deprived areas. For example, in 2020/21, 86.5% of primary school pupils from the least deprived areas attained the expected levels in numeracy (sub-measure iii) compared to 65.0% of primary school pupils from the most deprived areas. Similarly, for sub-measure (vi), 96.1% of 2020/21 school leavers from the least deprived areas attained 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 or better compared to 77.9% of school leavers from the most deprived areas.
• The attainment sub-measures show variation in attainment by urban/rural category. It is difficult to identify consistent patterns. In 2020/21, pupils living in Accessible Rural and Remote Rural areas were the most likely to achieve at SCQF Levels 4 or better and 5 or better (sub-measures (v) and (vi)), while pupils living in Accessible Rural areas and Large Urban areas have the highest levels of attainment at SCQF level 6 or better (sub-measure (vii)). For sub-measures (i) and (iii) in 2020/21, pupils from Remote Small Towns were less likely to have achieved the expected level than those in other areas

Important information

You can view the sub-measures in the Equality Evidence Finder and read more about the measures here.

Educational Attainment of Scotland’s children and young people will have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This should be kept in mind when considering the latest figures and – more importantly – when comparing them to earlier figures from 2018/19 and before.

Latest update: January 2024

This indicator is in development which means we do not yet have data to report for this indicator.

We will publish data on this indicator as soon as it becomes available.

Latest update: January 2024

This indicator is in development which means we do not yet have data to report for this indicator.

We will publish data on this indicator as soon as it becomes available.

This indicator measures the proportion of adults aged 16-64 with low or no qualifications at SCQF level 4 or below. Find out more about this indicator.

SCQF Level 4 refers to qualifications at, or equivalent to, National 4. 

In 2021, the proportion of people in Scotland aged 16 to 64 with low (SCQF level 4 or below) or no qualifications was 9.1 per cent, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points since 2020 and 2.5 percentage points since 2019 (pre-pandemic).

The proportion is at its lowest since the series began and has decreased by 7.3 percentage points between 2007 and 2021.

The proportion of the population aged 16 to 64 with low (SCQF Level 4 or below)  or no qualifications has fallen by 0.6 percentage points since 2020.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status and urban/rural classification. These breakdowns can be viewed on the charts below and on the Equality Evidence Finder.

Please note, the text to describe the trends in this indicator data was updated in May 2024 to correct an error. The performance arrow and data were unaffected. 

Latest update: 08 May 2024

Proportion of establishments reporting at least one skills shortage vacancy. Find out more about this indicator.

2022 has the highest reported figure for this National indicator, which has been recorded since 2011. 

The latest data shows that the proportion of employers in Scotland with at least one skill shortage vacancy (SSV) is 10% (in 2022). This figure has increased since 2020 (3%) and 2017 (6%).

The proportion of employers in Scotland with at least one SSV in the 2011 Employer Skills Survey (ESS) was 3% compared to 4% in the 2013 ESS.  In the 2015 ESS survey the proportion of employers in Scotland with at least one SSV increased to 6%. In the 2017 ESS the proportion employers in Scotland with at least one SSV remained at 6%. In 2020 the proportion of employers in Scotland with at least one SSV was 3%. It should be noted that the 2020 skill shortage vacancy measure may have been artificially low as the survey fieldwork took place between October and December 2020 when COVID protection measures on businesses, such as furlough were in place.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by density, establishment size, region, and sector. These breakdowns can be viewed on the Equality Evidence Finder.

• In 2022, 31% of all vacancies in Scotland were skill shortages. This is higher than in 2020 when 21% of all vacancies in Scotland were skill shortage vacancies and in 2017 when 24% of all vacancies were skill shortage vacancies. 
• The break by region reported is by Regional Outcome Agreement (ROA). Further detail on definition is provided in the technical note. In 2022, Edinburgh and Lothians had the highest incidence of skill shortage vacancies (SSV) (14%) and Dumfries and Galloway the lowest (7%). In 2020, West Lothian region had the highest incidence of skill shortage vacancies (SSV) (6%) and Ayrshire (1%) and Lanarkshire (1%) regions the lowest. In 2022 the density of SSVs was highest in Borders (39%) and West Lothian (39%) and lowest in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (22%). In 2020 the density of SSVs was highest in Fife region (32%) and lowest in Dumfries and Galloway (13%). 
• In general, the largest establishments are more likely to have SSVs.  This was true in both 2022 and 2020. In 2022, the density of SSVs was highest in establishment sizeband 2-4 employees (39%).  In 2020, the density of SSVs was highest in establishment sizeband 5 to 24 (23%).
• In 2022, the incidence of SSVs was highest in Health and Social Work (16%). The lowest incidence was in Primary Sector and Utilities (4%).
• In 2020, the incidence of SSVs was highest in Public Admin (10%). The lowest incidence was in Financial Services (0%). In 2022, the density of SSVs was highest in Financial Services (68%) and lowest in Primary Sector and Utilities (17%). The density of SSVs was highest in Health and Social Work (26%) in 2020.  In a number of sectors base size was too small to report (<30).

Latest update: 08 May 2024

Proportion of establishments with at least one employee with skills and qualifications more advanced than required for their current job role. Find out more about this indicator.

The proportion of establishments with at least one employee with skills and qualifications more advanced than required for their current job role was 37% in 2022 compared to 33% in 2020, 35% in 2017 and 32% in 2015. 

2022 has the highest reported figure for this National indicator, which has been recorded since 2015. The proportion of establishments with at least one employee with skills and qualifications more advanced than required for their current job role was 37% in 2022, 33% in 2020 and 35% in 2017. In 2015 the figure was 32%.

It should be noted that the 2020 skills underutilisation measure may have been impacted by COVID protection measures on businesses, such as furlough, which were in place when the survey fieldwork took place from October to December 2020.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by density, establishment size, region and sector. These breakdowns can be viewed on the Equality Evidence Finder.

• The proportion of all staff with skills and qualifications more advanced than required for their current job role was 9% in 2022 compared to 8% in 2020.
• The break by region reported is by Regional Outcome Agreement (ROA). Further detail on definition is provided in the technical note. In 2022 West region had the highest incidence of skills under-utilisation (47%). The lowest incidence of skills utilisation was 28% in Forth Valley. 
• In 2020 West Lothian region had the highest incidence of skills under-utilisation (43%). The lowest incidence of skills under-utilisation was 30% in both Ayrshire and Tayside regions. 
• In 2022 the density of skills under-utilisation was highest in the Highlands and Islands region (16%) and lowest in Edinburgh and Lothians, Fife, and Lanarkshire (6%). 
• In 2020 the density of skills under-utilisation was highest in Borders region (13%) and lowest in Edinburgh and Lothians, Fife, and Highlands & Islands regions (6%). 
• In 2022 there were no significant differences in the proportion of employers with under-utilised staff by establishment size. 
• In 2020, establishments with 25 to 29 and 50 to 99 employees were most likely to have skills under-utilisation (37% in 2020). 
• In 2022, in general, the density of skills under-utilisation was greater among small establishments than large establishments. In 2022, the proportion of employees underutilised was highest among establishments with 2 to 4 employees (25%) compared with 4% of the workforce in establishments with 100 or more employees.
• The incidence of skills under-utilisation was highest in the Hotels and Restaurants sector in both 2022 (49%) and in 2020 (48%). 
• The lowest incidence of skills under-utilisation was in Information and Communications in 2022 (30%) and in Primary Sector & Utilities in 2020 (23%). 
• The density of skills under-utilisation was highest in Hotels and Restaurants in 2022 (18%) and highest in Financial Services in 2020 (16%). The lowest density of skills under-utilisation was Financial Services in 2022 (4%) and Public Admin in 2020 (3%).

Latest update: 15 December 2023

This indicator measures the percentage of employees who received on the job training in the last 3 months. Find out more about this indicator.

In 2022, the proportion of those in employment in Scotland aged 16-64 who participated in job-related training in the last 3 months was 25.5 per cent, an increase of 2.0 percentage points since 2021.

The latest update of this indicator includes data for 2021 and 2022. Performance arrows have been decided based on the change between the last two years as normal.

The proportion of those in employment in Scotland aged 16-64 who participated in job-related training in the last 3 months increased from 23.5 per cent in 2021 to 25.5 per cent in 2022.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion,  and socio-economic status. These breakdowns can be viewed in the charts below or on the  Equality Evidence Finder.

Latest update: 04 December 2023

Percentage of young adults (16-19 year olds) participating in education, training or employment. Find out more about this indicator.

The proportion of 16-19 year olds that were participating in education, training or employment was 94.3% in 2023. This is the first data point to (partially) include HMRC employment data.

There are seven data points available for this National Performance Framework (NPF) Indicator, prior to the inclusion of the HMRC data.

In 2022, the proportion of 16-19 year olds that were participating in education, training or employment was 92.4%, a slight increase of 0.2 pp compared to the previous year (92.2%).

In 2023, the proportion of 16-19 year olds that were participating in education, training or employment was 94.3%.

Data breakdowns

This indicator can be broken down by age, gender, disability, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. These breakdowns can be viewed on the charts below or on the Equality Evidence Finder.

In 2023, twenty local authorities have a participation rate on or above the Scottish average (the remaining twelve were below). The highest participation rate was in East Renfrewshire (97.7%) and the lowest participation rate was in Dundee City (91.2%).

In 2023, those living in urban areas accounted for 70.7% of the overall APM cohort. Those who were not participating were more likely to live in an urban area. Most of the cohorts who were unemployed seeking (78.6%) and unemployed not seeking (75.6%) lived in urban areas.

Important information

A change of methodology between the 2022 and 2023 publications has resulted in improvements to the data quality in the underlying data source for 2023 for this indicator. The inclusion of HMRC data from January 2023 in the Annual Participation Measure has impacted positively on the participation rate for 2023. HMRC employment data was received for employment which started prior to 1st January 2023 and continued beyond this date and employment which started after 1st January 2023. The inclusion of HMRC data has caused a step change in the time series. It is therefore not appropriate to discuss the scale of improvement due to the methodology change.

Due to the step change in the series between 2022 and 2023, there is no performance arrow for 2023.