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Publication - Research and analysis

Cultural engagement in Scotland: what is it and why does it matter?

Published
27 November 2024
Directorate
Strategy Directorate, +1 more … Culture and Major Events Directorate
Topic
Arts, culture and sport
ISBN
9781836910329

This report provides evidence on cultural engagement in Scotland from 2019 - 2024. It draws on a range of data, from both the Scottish Household Survey and qualitative research, to explore attitudes and behaviours for different people and places across Scotland.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Annex F: Detailed tables showing change in ‘attendance at cultural events or places of culture’ and ‘participation at cultural activities’ by population subgroup (2019 – 2022)

Table 15: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place in the last 12 months (including cinema), by population subgroup part 1, 2019 – 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Sex
Male 79% 74% -5*
Female 83% 73% -10*
Age
16-24 92% 85% -7*
25-34 89% 83% -7*
35-44 87% 83% -4*
45-59 82% 76% -6*
60-74 74% 65% -9*
75+ 55% 44% -11*
Highest level of qualification
Degree or professional 94% 88% -6*
HNC/HND or equivalent 88% 82% -7*
Higher/A-level or equivalent 89% 80% -9*
O-/standard grade or equivalent 78% 65% -14*
Other qualification 54% 36% -19*
No qualifications 52% 40% -12*
Qualifications not known 62% 25% -36*
Deprivation (SIMD 2020)
Quintile 1 - 20% most deprived 71% 61% -10*
Quintile 2 76% 69% -8*
Quintile 3 80% 72% -8*
Quintile 4 86% 78% -8*
Quintile 5 - 20% least deprived 91% 86% -5*
Net annual household income
Up to £10,000 65% 54% -11*
£10,001 to £20,000 69% 58% -11*
£20,001 to £30,000 79% 66% -13*
£30,001 or more 89% 87% -2*
Unknown or low 73% 57% -16*

* = Significant change

Table 16: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place in the last 12 months (including cinema), by population subgroup part 2, 2019 - 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Disability
Disabled 64% 56% -8*
Non disabled 87% 80% -7*
Ethnicity
White: Scottish 79% 73% -7*
White: Other British 88% 76% -12*
White: Other 84% 76% -8*
Minority Ethnic Groups 83% 73% -10*
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual/Straight 81% 73% -8*
Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual 93% 89% -5
Religion belonging
None 83% 76% -7*
Church of Scotland 76% 67% -10*
Roman Catholic 79% 75% -3
Other Christian 81% 67% -14*
Another religion 82% 69% -12*
Marital status
Married/Civil partnership 83% 76% -7*
Divorced/Separated 74% 65% -9*
Widowed 60% 48% -12*
Single 84% 77% -7*
Economic status
In employment 88% 84% -4*
Permanently retired from work 68% 56% -12*
Other 76% 62% -14*
Urban Rural
Rest of Scotland 81% 75% -6*
Rural Scotland 79% 67% -11*

* = Significant change

Table 17: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place in the last 12 months (excluding cinema), by population subgroup part 1, 2019 – 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Sex
Male 71% 64% -7*
Female 77% 66% -11*
Age
16-24 81% 71% -10*
25-34 80% 71% -9*
35-44 80% 73% -6*
45-59 76% 67% -9*
60-74 71% 60% -11*
75+ 52% 41% -11*
Highest level of qualification
Degree or professional 90% 83% -7*
HNC/HND or equivalent 81% 73% -9*
Higher/A-level or equivalent 81% 68% -13*
O-/standard grade or equivalent 67% 51% -16*
Other qualification 50% 28% -22*
No qualifications 45% 31% -14*
Qualifications not known 54% 22% -32*
Deprivation (SIMD 2020)
Quintile 1 - 20% most deprived 63% 51% -12*
Quintile 2 68% 59% -10*
Quintile 3 73% 63% -10*
Quintile 4 80% 70% -11*
Quintile 5 - 20% least deprived 86% 80% -7*
Net annual household income
Up to £10,000 60% 44% -16*
£10,001 to £20,000 62% 50% -13*
£20,001 to £30,000 72% 57% -15*
£30,001 or more 82% 78% -4*
Unknown or low 65% 49% -16*

* = Significant change

Table 18: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place in the last 12 months (excluding cinema), by population subgroup part 2, 2019 - 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Disability
Disabled 58% 49% -8*
Non disabled 80% 70% -10*
Ethnicity
White: Scottish 73% 64% -9*
White: Other British 81% 70% -11*
White: Other 77% 64% -13*
Minority Ethnic Groups 72% 59% -13*
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual/Straight 74% 64% -10*
Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual 88% 83% -5
Religion belonging
None 75% 67% -8*
Church of Scotland 72% 60% -12*
Roman Catholic 72% 65% -8*
Other Christian 76% 62% -14*
Another religion 72% 57% -14*
Marital status
Married/Civil partnership 78% 68% -10*
Divorced/Separated 69% 59% -10*
Widowed 56% 44% -12*
Single 74% 66% -8*
Economic status
In employment 81% 74% -7*
Permanently retired from work 65% 52% -13*
Other 67% 51% -16*
Urban Rural
Rest of Scotland 75% 66% -9*
Rural Scotland 72% 61% -11*

* = Significant change

Table 19: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months (including reading), by population subgroup part 1, 2019 – 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Sex
Male 70% 70% 0
Female 80% 80% 0
Age
16-24 74% 76% 2
25-34 74% 74% 0
35-44 78% 75% -2
45-59 75% 74% -1
60-74 78% 76% -2
75+ 69% 74% 5*
Highest level of qualification
Degree or professional 91% 88% -3*
HNC/HND or equivalent 80% 80% 0
Higher/A-level or equivalent 77% 77% -1
O-/standard grade or equivalent 64% 63% -1
Other qualification 61% 53% -7*
No qualifications 54% 54% 0
Qualifications not known 49% 53% 4
Deprivation (SIMD 2020)
Quintile 1 - 20% most deprived 62% 64% 1
Quintile 2 70% 71% 1
Quintile 3 76% 78% 2
Quintile 4 82% 78% -4*
Quintile 5 - 20% least deprived 85% 82% -3
Net annual household income
Up to £10,000 70% 69% -1
£10,001 to £20,000 69% 69% 0
£20,001 to £30,000 75% 72% -3
£30,001 or more 79% 80% 1
Unknown or low 70% 65% -5

* = Significant change

Table 20: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months (including reading), by population subgroup part 2, 2019 – 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Disability
Disabled 68% 72% 4*
Non disabled 78% 76% -2
Ethnicity
White: Scottish 73% 73% -1
White: Other British 85% 83% -3
White: Other 81% 82% 1
Minority Ethnic Groups 67% 74% 7
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual/Straight 75% 74% 0
Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual 88% 87% -1
Religion belonging
None 75% 73% -2*
Church of Scotland 76% 78% 2
Roman Catholic 71% 75% 4
Other Christian 85% 86% 1
Another religion 67% 77% 10*
Marital status
Married/Civil partnership 78% 77% -1
Divorced/Separated 75% 73% -2
Widowed 73% 76% 4
Single 72% 73% 0
Economic status
In employment 77% 76% -1
Permanently retired from work 76% 77% 1
Other 67% 67% 0
Urban Rural
Rest of Scotland 74% 74% 0
Rural Scotland 78% 77% -2

* = Significant change

Table 21: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months (excluding reading), by population subgroup part 1, 2019 – 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Sex
Male 49% 47% -2
Female 55% 55% 0
Age
16-24 60% 65% 5
25-34 58% 55% -3
35-44 57% 53% -4
45-59 51% 50% -1
60-74 49% 47% -1
75+ 33% 38% 5*
Highest level of qualification
Degree or professional 69% 65% -5*
HNC/HND or equivalent 59% 59% 0
Higher/A-level or equivalent 56% 53% -3
O-/standard grade or equivalent 40% 39% -2
Other qualification 30% 23% -7*
No qualifications 28% 28% -1
Qualifications not known 29% 27% -2
Deprivation (SIMD 2020)
Quintile 1 - 20% most deprived 41% 41% 0
Quintile 2 48% 48% 0
Quintile 3 52% 56% 3
Quintile 4 59% 52% -7*
Quintile 5 - 20% least deprived 60% 57% -3
Net annual household income
Up to £10,000 41% 41% 0
£10,001 to £20,000 43% 45% 2
£20,001 to £30,000 51% 49% -2
£30,001 or more 58% 56% -1
Unknown or low 47% 38% -9*

* = Significant change

Table 22: Percentage point change in percentage of adults who participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months (excluding reading), by population subgroup part 2, 2019 - 2022
Population subgroup 2019 2022 % point change
Disability
Disabled 43% 48% 5*
Non disabled 55% 52% -3*
Ethnicity
White: Scottish 50% 49% -1
White: Other British 62% 57% -4
White: Other 60% 60% 0
Minority Ethnic Groups 49% 53% 3
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual/Straight 51% 50% -1
Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual 75% 76% 1
Religion belonging
None 54% 50% -3*
Church of Scotland 46% 51% 5*
Roman Catholic 48% 48% 0
Other Christian 63% 65% 2
Another religion 49% 55% 6
Marital status
Married/Civil partnership 52% 50% -2
Divorced/Separated 49% 48% -2
Widowed 39% 41% 2
Single 56% 55% -1
Economic status
In employment 56% 54% -3*
Permanently retired from work 44% 45% 1
Other 50% 51% 2
Urban Rural
Rest of Scotland 52% 51% -1
Rural Scotland 53% 52% -1

* = Significant change

Contact

Email: socialresearch@gov.scot

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