Scottish Household Survey - 2021 Publication | National Performance Framework

Scottish Household Survey - 2021 Publication

Data from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) provides estimates for some of the National Indicators in the National Performance Framework.

From 1999 to 2019, the SHS collected information on the characteristics, attitudes and behaviours of Scotland’s people, using face-to-face interviewing in people’s homes. Due to COVID restrictions, the 2020 and 2021 surveys were carried out over the telephone. The 2022 survey returned to face-to-face interviewing.

A full account of the methods used for the SHS 2021 survey can be found here.

As with the 2020 telephone survey results, the results of the 2021 telephone survey are not comparable to face-to-face survey results for 2019 and earlier, and have been published as experimental statistics.

This has meant that reporting on these National Indicators has had to change to capture this.

What has changed with National Indicators that come from the SHS?

The intention is to provide as much information on National Indicators as part of the SHS 2021 publication as possible, while reflecting the different nature of this publication compared to previous years.

As it is not possible to determine if differences in indicators between the telephone surveys (2020 and 2021) and the face-to-face surveys (2019 and earlier) represent genuine changes, or are due to the change in how the survey was carried out, we cannot make an accurate determination of the direction of the performance arrow for each indicator.

As a result of this, the National Indicators that would be updated from the SHS 2021 are being reporting on this page in order to keep them distinct from the main time series.

Breakdowns

Breakdowns of each of the indicators can be found on the Equality Evidence Finder and data can be found on the National Performance Framework database on statistics.gov.scot.

This page will be updated with National Indicators that use 2021 Scottish Household Survey data when these are available.

Poverty

Satisfaction with housing (2021)

The percentage of people in 2021 who are “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat is not being compared with previous years due to changes in the survey method due to COVID-19 guidance.

Overall ratings of housing satisfaction were high, with 90.5% of households reporting they are “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat in 2021.

5.1% of households reported that they were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” and 4.4% (around 110,000) reported that they were “very” or “fairly dissatisfied”.

Of the households that reported they were “very” or “fairly dissatisfied”, 71.3% (around 80,000) reported dissatisfaction with the condition of their accommodation with 52.6% (around 60,000) citing the poor state of repair.

95.6% of households that were owner occupied reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This is higher than for households in the private rented (80.8%) and social rented (82.9%) sectors.

Disaggregations

All disaggregations will be influenced by the tenure of the household. For example, households where the highest income householder (HIH) is younger will be less likely to be in owner occupation (with higher levels of housing satisfaction) and more likely to be either private rented or social rented housing (with lower levels of housing satisfaction).

93.6% of households where the highest income householder (HIH) was aged 60 or over reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This is higher than for households where the HIH is aged 16 to 34 (86.5%) or 35 to 59 (89.3%).

91.0% of households where the highest income householder (HIH) was white Scottish reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This was similar for households where the HIH was white other British (92.5%), white other (86.1%) and from a minority ethnic group (81.5%).

Because of the small sample sizes for the white other and minority ethnic groups, the differences are not statistically significant.

For the purposes of this analysis, ‘white other’ includes Irish, Gypsy/Traveller, Polish and other white ethnic groups and ‘minority ethnic groups’ includes mixed or multiple, Asian, African, Caribbean or Black, Arab or any other ethnic groups.

95.3% of households in the 20% least deprived areas reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This is higher than for households in the 20% most deprived areas (86.1%).

90.4% of households where the highest income householder (HIH) was of no religion reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This was similar to households where the HIH’s religion was Church of Scotland (92.6%), Roman Catholic (91.1%) or other Christian (90.5%) but higher than for households where the HIH was of another religion (74.2%).

93.8% of households in remote rural areas reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This is higher than for households in large urban areas (89.2%).

91.1% of households where men were the highest income householder (HIH) reported that they were “very” or “fairly satisfied” with their house or flat. This was similar to households where women where the HIH (89.7%).

Performance to be confirmed

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Communities

Access to green and blue spaces (2021)

In 2021, 70% of adults lived within a 5 minute walk of their nearest green or blue space.

This data is taken from the Scottish Household Survey 2021, where respondents were asked the walking distance in minutes to their nearest green or blue space. The 2020 and 2021 data are comparable as they used the same data collection method. However it has been decided not to update the National Indicator using the figures for 2020 and 2021.

Below the headline figure:

Local authority breakdowns are available for 2021, 2019 and earlier years. Local authority breakdowns of the 2020 data are not available as the sample size generated by the telephone/video collection methods is too small to give statistically robust figures below national level.
In 2021 adults aged 75+ were less likely to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (60%) compared to younger age groups (72% for aged 16-24).
In 2021 there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of men and women living within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space.
In 2021 people from minority ethnic groups were less likely to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (62%) than people from White ethnic groups (71%).
In 2021 adults living in less deprived areas were more likely than those living in more deprived areas to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space: 62% for the 20% most deprived areas compared to 71% for the 20% least deprived areas.
In 2021 adults declaring no religion were more likely to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (73%) than adults who were recorded as Christian (67%) or another religion (64%).
In 2021 adults with a disability were less likely to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (64%) than adults who did not have a disability (72%).
In 2021 adults living in remote rural areas were more likely than those living in large urban areas to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (80% compared to 64% respectively).
In 2021 adults who reported their health to be good or very good were more likely to live within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space (72%) than adults who reported their health to be bad or very bad (58%).

Performance to be confirmed

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Perceptions of local area (2021)

The percentage of people who rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live was 58% in 2021.

Data breakdowns

Beyond the headline figures:

Neighbourhood perceptions increased with age – 46% of young adults (aged 16-24) rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live, increasing to 73% of older adults (75 and over) in 2021.
There was no significant difference in ratings reported by men or women in 2021. 58% of men and women rated their neighbourhood as very good place to live.
In 2021 adults who didn’t have a disability were slightly more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a very good place to live (60% of adults), compared to those who did have a disability (53% of adults).
In 2021, adults from a white: Other British ethnic background were more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a very good place to live (64% of adults), compared to adults from minority ethnic groups (45% of adults).
Among adults with different religions, those recorded as Other Christian (65% of adults), Church of Scotland (64% of adults), Roman Catholic (55% of adults), and as None (56% of adults) rate their neighbourhoods as very good places to live. Sample sizes are too small to report a meaningful analysis on ratings from adults from other religions, such as Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Hindu, Pagan, and Other.
Deprivation reveals area-based differences, as the proportion rating their neighbourhood as a very good place to live increased significantly as deprivation declined. Of those living in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland in 2021, only 30% rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live, whereas 80% of those living in the 20% least deprived areas rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live. This is a similar trend to previous years.
There is a pattern in perceived neighbourhood ratings between urban and rural areas. Adults in accessible or remote rural areas were more likely to describe their neighbourhood as a very good place to live (71% and 76%, respectively) than those in large and ‘other’ urban areas (53% and 55%,

respectively) in 2021.

The LA with the highest percentage of people who rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live was Na-h Eileanan Siar (86%). The percentage of people who rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live was lowest in West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow City (both 44%).

Important information

Please note as with the 2020 results, the results of the 2021 SHS telephone survey are published as experimental statistics. They are not directly comparable to SHS face to-face survey results for previous years (2019 and earlier).

Performance to be confirmed

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Places to interact (2021)

The percentage of people who agreed that there are places to meet up and socialise in their neighbourhood was 62% in 2021.

Data Breakdowns

Beyond the headline figures:

There is not very much variation between age categories. The highest level of agreement is for people who in the 25 to 34 age group (64%), and the lowest in the 45 to 54 age group (60%).
There are similar levels of agreement among men (61%) and women (63%).
66% of White: Other British, 63% of White: Other, 62% of White: Scottish and 52% of Minority ethnic groups agreed or strongly agreed that there are places where people can meet up and socialise in 2021.
Those without a disability (64%) were more likely to agree or strongly agree that there are places where people can meet up and socialise compared to those with a disability (57%).
There is a larger amount of variation by deprivation. People in the 20% most deprived parts of Scotland are much less likely to agree with this statement (54%) than people in the 20% least deprived parts of Scotland (65%).
The percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree that there are places where people can meet up and socialise was highest for those living in accessible small towns (72%) and lowest for those living in other urban areas (56%).
The LA with the highest percentage of people who agreed that there are places to meet up and socialise in their neighbourhood was East Lothian (77%). The percentage of people who agreed that there are places to meet up and socialise in their neighbourhood was lowest in Falkirk (49%).

Important Information

Performance to be confirmed

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Environment

Visits to the outdoors (2021)

During 2021, 71% of adults are estimated to have visited the outdoors at least once a week.

This data is taken from the Scottish Household Survey 2021, where respondents were asked how often on average they had made a visit to the outdoors for leisure and recreation in Scotland at the time of asking.

From 2006 to 2012 this data was taken from the Scottish Recreation Survey. Both surveys were conducted in 2012.

For 2019 and earlier years respondents were asked about their average frequency of visiting the outdoors in the last twelve months.

The 2020 data was collected by telephone and video from January to April 2021 when significant restrictions on people’s activities were in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic and so prevented face-to-face interviewing. In order to gather information about respondents’ frequency of visits to the outdoors under those restrictions, the question then replaced the text “in the last twelve months” with “nowadays”.

The 2021 data was also collected by telephone as some restrictions remained in place during the period of collection (April 2021 to March 2022). The wording “nowadays” was retained.

The 2020 and 2021 data are comparable as they used the same data collection method. However it has been decided not to update the National Indicator using the figures for 2020 and 2021.

Below the headline figure:

In 2021 adults aged 75+ were less likely to visit the outdoors at least once a week (58%) compared to younger age groups (75% for ages 25-34).
In 2021 there was no statistically significant difference between the proportion of men who visited the outdoors at least once a week and the corresponding proportion of women.
In 2021 people from minority ethnic groups were less likely to visit the outdoors at least once a week (55%) than people from White ethnic groups (72%).
In 2021 adults living in less deprived areas were more likely to visit the outdoors weekly than those living in more deprived areas: 79% in the 20% least deprived areas compared to 56% in the 20% most deprived areas.
In 2021 adults declaring no religion were more likely to visit the outdoors at least weekly (74%) than adults recorded as Christian (68%) and adults recorded as another religion (57%).
In 2021 adults who did not have a disability were more likely to visits the outdoors at least weekly (75% of adults), compared to those who did have a disability (58% of adults).
In 2021 adults living in remote rural areas were more likely to visit the outdoors at least weekly (79%) than those living in large urban areas (68%).
In 2021 adults who reported their health to be good or very good were much more likely to visit the outdoors at least weekly (76%) than adults who reported their health to be bad or very bad (41%).

Performance to be confirmed

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Health

Journeys by active travel (2021)

56.2% of journeys under 2 miles were made by walking in 2021.

2.8% of journeys under 5 miles were made by bicycle in 2021.

Results for 2021 are not directly comparable with 2020 or previous years.

Below the headline figures:

In Stirling, Perth and Kinross, Glasgow City, Dundee City and City of Edinburgh, more than 64% of journeys under 2 miles were by walking. The figure was less than 41% in West Lothian, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Renfrewshire, Highland and Na h-Eileanan Siar.
In 2021, the percentage of journeys under 5 miles by cycling was lowest in the 80+ age group (0.3%).
The percentage of journeys under 2 miles by walking was similar for men and women at around 56%. Cycling was more common for men (3.5%) than women (2.3%).
68% of short journeys by White people who are not Scottish, British or Polish were by walking, more than the national average.
There are no statistically significant differences between more and less deprived areas.
People naming their religion as Church of Scotland took a slightly lower percentage of short journeys by walking (50%) than the general population.
In 2021, 0.8% of disabled people’s journeys under 5 miles were by cycling. For those not disabled, the figure was 3.4%.
People in accessible rural areas took 67% of their journeys under 2 miles by walking, compared to 47% in remote small towns.
People in remote small towns took just 0.4% of their journeys under 5 miles by cycling, well below the Scottish average (2.8%).

The figures given are from the Scottish Household Survey. For the years up to 2019, the survey was conducted face-to-face. In 2020, it was suspended for several months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was re-started later in the year with telephone interviewing. The results reported for 2020 and 2021 are from these telephone interviews.

Response rates for the telephone survey were lower than usual, and there was a change in the profile of respondents (e.g. home owners and people with degree level qualifications were over-represented). There are also potential mode effects (respondents answering differently over the telephone than they would face-to-face). There was a seasonal effect for 2020 data (the telephone survey took place during October 2020 and January to March 2021), but not for the 2021 survey, that was conducted over a year.

The sample size of 2020 was also lower than in other years, so there is greater uncertainty about 2020 figure: the standard performance threshold when comparing figures would not have been appropriate, even if the data hadn’t been affected by seasonality.

It is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will have caused changes to travel patterns: many people were required to work from home and were not commuting, many leisure and public facilities were closed, public transport use was discouraged and some people changed their exercise patterns. Restrictions were generally less tight in the 2021 survey period than the 2020 survey period.

But it is not possible to determine the extent to which differences between the 2020 and 2021 results and previous years represent genuine changes in levels of walking and cycling, and how much they are due to changes in how the survey was carried out.

Performance status for 2021 is being classified as not available, due to changes in the data source.

Performance to be confirmed

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Culture

Participation in a cultural activity (2021)

2021 data show that 84% of adults in Scotland had participated in some form of cultural activity in the last 12 months.

Please also note when we refer to the Participation in a cultural activity indicator figure and demographic breakdowns we are referring to participation including reading (the most common cultural activity to participate in the last 12 months).

Overall participation in cultural activities was higher among women, those with degrees or professional qualifications, those with no long-term physical or mental health conditions (when comparing those with no reported long-term physical or mental health conditions and those with any reported long-term physical or mental health conditions), those living in less deprived areas, and those with a higher household income. Differences in participation between age groups were less marked.

Data Breakdowns

Below the headline figures:

In 2021, overall cultural participation was broadly similar for all age groups.
In 2021, cultural participation was highest for ‘White: Other British adults (91%) and ‘White: Other’ adults (89%). Participation was lower for ‘White Scottish adults’ (82%) and ‘Minority Ethnic’ adults (83%).
In 2021, cultural participation was higher for adults reporting not to have a disability compared to those that reported having disability (85% and 81% respectively).
In 2021, cultural participation was broadly similar among adults living in rural areas and those living in urban areas. 84% of adults, in both urban and rural areas, participated in cultural activities in the past 12 months.
In 2021, cultural participation across different religious groups was broadly similar, with the only notable difference observed between adults who said their religion was ‘Roman Catholic’ (79%).
In 2021, cultural participation was lowest for adults living in the 20% most deprived areas and highest for those living in the 20% least deprived areas (76% vs 88%).
In 2021, cultural participation across various marital statuses is broadly similar.
In 2021, cultural participation was greater for adults permanently retired from work (87%).
The LA with the highest percentage of adults who had participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months was Shetland Islands (94%). The percentage of adults who had participated in a cultural activity was lowest in North Ayrshire and Inverclyde (both 76%).
In 2021, participation in cultural activities decreased with level of qualifications. Cultural participation was highest among adults with a degree or professional qualification (91%) and lowest for those with no qualifications (67%).
In 2021, cultural participation was higher for households with a larger household income. 67% of adults with a net annual household income up to £10,000 participated in a cultural activity, compared to 80% of those with a net annual household income of over £30,000.

Important information

COVID-19 and the measures required to contain the spread of the virus may have restricted people’s opportunities to partake in some forms of culture that they find of interest for a large part of in 2020 and 2021 e.g., taking part in a play or singing in a group / choir.

Please note that the results of the SHS 2020 and 2021 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years (2019 and earlier). While these data cannot be compared with those of previous years, they offer an indication of the impact of Covid-19 and associated restrictions on cultural participation.

Performance to be confirmed

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Attendance at cultural events (2021)

Data from the 2021 Scottish Household Survey (SHS) indicates that 59% of adults in Scotland had had attended or visited a cultural event or place of culture in the last 12 months.

Data breakdowns

Below the headline figures:

A higher share of 16 to 24 year olds and 35 to 44 year olds (71%) had attended or visited a cultural event or place compared to those aged 75 and over (34%).
In 2021, cultural attendance was broadly similar between women and men. 59% of women had attended or visited a cultural event or place compared to 58% of men.
In 2021, cultural attendance was highest for ‘White: Other’ Adults (73%) and lowest for ‘White Scottish’ adults (56%). 65% of ‘White: Other British’ adults and 58% of adults in ‘Minority Ethnic Groups’’ adults had attended or visited a cultural or place,.
In 2021, cultural attendance increased as the level of deprivation of the household area decreased. Attendance is significantly lower in the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. 50% of those living in the 20% most deprived areas had attended or visited a cultural event or place in the last 12 months compared with 66% of those living in the 20% least deprived areas.
In 2021, cultural attendance was highest for those who said they followed ‘no religion’ (63%) and lowest for those who said ‘Church of Scotland’ (50%) and ‘Another religion’ (52%) and ‘Roman Catholic’ (53%). 59% of adults who said ‘Other Christian’ attended cultural events or places in the last 12 months.
In 2021, cultural attendance was higher among gay, lesbian or bisexual adults. Three quarters (75%) of gay, lesbian or bisexual adults had visited a cultural place or attended a cultural event compared with 58% of heterosexual / straight adults.
In 2021, cultural attendance was highest for single adults (64%) and lowest for widowed adults (40%).
In 2021, cultural attendance was similar for adults living in urban areas and adults living in rural areas (59% and 58% respectively).
City of Edinburgh had the highest percentage of adults who had attended a cultural event or place of culture in the last 12 months (71%). The percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place was lowest in Na h-Eileanan Siar and Inverclyde (both 39%).
In 2021, cultural attendance was higher among households with greater net annual household income. 87% of those with a net annual household income of over £30,000 had attended or visited a cultural event or place in the last 12 months. Whereas, 54% of respondents with a net annual household income of between £0 and £10,000 had attended or visited a cultural event or place.
In 2021, cultural attendance was highest for adults in employment (65%) and lowest for those permanently retired from work (46%). Adults in employment were also more likely to attend cultural events or places than adults with ‘Other’ economic status (65% and 57%).
In 2021, cultural attendance was higher for adults with degrees or professional qualifications. 69% of adults with a degree or professional qualification had attended or visited a cultural event or place. Attendance was lowest for those with no qualifications (26%).

Important information

Please also note when we refer to the attendance at cultural events or places of culture indicator figure and demographic breakdowns we are referring to attendance including cinema (the most common cultural event to attend in the last 12 months.

Opportunities to attend a number of cultural and heritage venues and events were substantially reduced for a large portion of the time period covered by the data, owing to Covid-19 and the restrictions in place to control the spread of the virus. Restrictions on a range of activities and venues were in operation at various junctures in 2020 and 2021. Restrictions may also have had a significant bearing on commercial decisions, such as feature film release schedules, which may also have influenced behaviour.

Performance to be confirmed

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Human Rights

Influence over local decisions (2021)

In 2021, 24% of people agreed that they can influence decisions affecting their local area.

Please note that the results of the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2021 are not directly comparable to SHS results for 2019 and previous years. This is due to the SHS 2021 and SHS 2020 using telephone interviewing as a response to COVID-19, instead of face-to-face interviewing as was the case prior to 2020.

Below the headline figures:

Adults living in East Lothian reported a high level of agreement with the statement ‘I can influence decisions affecting my local area’, with 40% of adults agreeing.
In comparison, one of the lowest levels of agreement (14% of adults) is reported by adults living in Dumfries and Galloway.
The average level of agreement across all local authorities in Scotland is 24%.
About a quarter (24%) of both men and women agreed with the statement that they can influence decisions in their local area.
All ages surveyed agreed a similar amount about being able to influence decisions in their local area.
White Scottish people and people belonging to Minority ethnic groups felt similarly about their ability to influence decisions in their local area.
Adults in the 20% most deprived areas, as measured by SIMD, reported feeling less able to influence decisions in their local area (21% of adults) compared to adults in the 20% least deprived areas (25% of adults).
Adults that identified as having no religion, Roman Catholic, or as belonging to the Church of Scotland have similar levels of agreement with the statement that they can influence decisions in their local area.
In 2021, there was no substantial difference between the views of people with disabilities and without on their ability to influence decisions in their local area (22% for people with disabilities and 25% for people without disabilities).
People living in large urban areas and remote rural areas agreed at similar levels about being able to influence decisions in their local area (22% of adults in large urban areas and 25% of adults in remote rural areas).

Performance to be confirmed

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Quality of public services (2021)

The percentage of adults satisfied with local health services, local schools and public transport in 2021 was 55%.

Below the headline figures:

The local authorities that reported the highest level of satisfaction with the quality of public services were East Dunbartonshire (68%) and West Lothian (67%). In comparison, the local authority with the lowest level of satisfaction was Aberdeenshire (42%). The average level of satisfaction across all local authorities in Scotland was 55%.
People aged 75+ had similar levels of satisfaction with public services (56%) compared to those aged 16-24 (57%).
Men (55%) and women (54%) had similar levels of satisfaction with public services.
Satisfaction with the quality of public services (local health services, schools and public transport combined) did not vary significantly by level of deprivation, as measured by SIMD. 58% of adults in the 20% least deprived areas were satisfied, compared to 55% of adults living in the 20% most deprived areas.
There were similar levels of satisfaction with public services across religious groups.
In 2021, adults with a disability expressed somewhat lower levels of satisfaction with public services (51%) compared to adults without a disability (55%).
People living in large urban areas were more satisfied with all three public services (health, schools, public transport) compared with people living in remote rural areas by 10 percentage points (58% of adults in large urban areas compared to 48% in remote rural areas).

Performance to be confirmed

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International

A positive experience for people coming to Scotland (2021)

Headline figure: 74.6% of migrants reported that they felt they belong in their neighbourhood.

Breakdowns:

In 2021, 80.2% of migrants from the rest of the UK reported that they felt they belong in their neighbourhood, compared to 66.3% of migrants from overseas. This difference is statistically significant.
Information on the year of arrival in Scotland is only available for oversea migrants, not for migrants from the rest of the UK. In 2021, 71.9% of overseas migrants who are living in Scotland and have been living in the UK for five years or more reported feeling that they belong in their neighbourhood, compared to 50.7% of migrants who had been living in Scotland for five years or less. This difference is statistically significant.
In 2021, 74.8% of male migrants felt they belong in their neighbourhood compared with 74.6% of female migrants. This difference is not statistically significant.
In 2021, 65.7% of those aged 16 to 24 (the youngest age group) felt they belong in their neighbourhood compared with 86.7% for the 75 and over age group (the oldest). This difference is not statistically significant.
Migrants from the rest of the UK and overseas living in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland reported the lowest feeling of belonging of 58.3%, while those living in the least deprived quintile reported a feeling of belonging at 82.9%. This difference is statistically significant.
Migrants living in rural areas reported a feeling of belonging of 82.2%, compared with 72.2% for those living in urban areas. This difference is statistically significant.

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Scottish Household Survey - 2021 Publication