Housing and regeneration outcomes framework: indicator updates

People live in sustainable communities

• summary table
• economically sustainable communities
• physically sustainable communities
• socially sustainable communities

Summary table on measures for people living in sustainable communities

Economically sustainable communities

Chart 28 – Percentage of Workless Households (Source: Office for National Statistics - Annual Population Survey)

Chart 29 – Employment Rate (including gap between the most deprived and rest of Scotland) (Source: Office for National Statistics - Annual Population Survey)

2014 saw the biggest annual drop in workless households over the past 14 years, from 20.1% in 2013 to 18.3% in 2014. After that, the rate remained fairly stable over the next 3 years, fluctuating between 18.0% and 18.4%. In 2018, the rate dropped to its lowest since 2007 at 17.1%. This then rose to 18.1% in 2020 and 18.6% in 2021.

The employment rate for the 15% most deprived areas rose by 7.4 percentage points from 54.0% in 2013 to 61.4% in 2021.

Over the same period, the employment rate for the Rest of Scotland increased from 73.8% to 75.3% in 2021, a smaller increase of 1.5 percentage points

This has resulted in a fall in the employment gap between the 15% most deprived areas and the Rest of Scotland from 19.8 percentage points in 2013  to 13.8 percentage points in 2021, a fall of 6.0 percentage points. This includes a fall of 1.3 percentage points in the last year, resulting in an improving performance for this indicator.

Chart 30 – Percentage of People with HNC/HND or Above (Source: Office for National Statistics - Annual Population Survey)

The percentage of people with post school qualifications in the 15% most deprived areas increased from 16.0% in 2007 to 26.2% in 2015, after which it fell slightly to 24.6% in 2017 before increasing again year on year to 37.4% in the latest year 2021. For the rest of Scotland there has been a gradual increase across the whole period from 36.2% in 2007 to 53.8% in 2021.

Between 2007 and 2021 the percentage in deprived areas has increased by 21.4 percentage points, which is a higher rate of increase to the rest of Scotland at 17.6 percentage points.

The gap between the 15% most deprived and the rest of Scotland reached its lowest point since 2007, at 16.4 percentage points in the latest year 2021. Over the last year, the gap decreased by 6.5 percentage points, mainly due to the increase in the percentage of people with post school qualifications from 30.3% in 2020 to 37.4% in 2021, resulting in an improving performance for this indicator.

Chart 31 – Healthy Life Expectancy – Males (Source: National Records of Scotland - Healthy Life Expectancy in Scotland)

Chart 32 – Healthy Life Expectancy – Females (Source: National Records of Scotland - Healthy Life Expectancy in Scotland)

These charts show the Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) of males and females over the past 10 years, for Scotland overall and for the 20% most deprived areas, along with the inequality gap.

Using the latest methodology, the Healthy Life Expectancy of males in 2016-18 was 61.9 years in Scotland with the most deprived being 49.7 years, a gap of over 12.2 years. The gap reduced to 8.6 years in 2017-19, before increasing again to 10.1 in 2018-20, with healthy life expectancy at 60.9 for all males, but only 50.8 for the 20% most deprived. As the increase in the gap in the latest period was below the 2.0 percentage points thresholds, the performance for this indicator is considered to be ‘maintaining’.

For females, the Healthy Life Expectancy in 2016-18 was 62.2 years in Scotland compared to 50.8 years in the most deprived areas, a gap of 11.4 years, falling to 7.4 in 2017-19 before rising again to 10.1 in 2018-20, with healthy life expectancy at 61.8 for all females, but only 51.7 for the 20% most deprived.

Chart 33 – Healthy Life Expectancy Gap (Source: National Records of Scotland - Healthy Life Expectancy in Scotland)

Physically sustainable communities

Chart 34 – Percentage of People Rating their Neighbourhood as a Very Good Place to Live (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

The percentage of people rating their neighbourhood as a very good place to live, has increased gradually from 51.7% in 2007 to 57.4% in 2018, though fell slightly to 57.0% in 2019, resulting in a ‘maintaining’ performance for this indicator in the latest period.

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting.

Chart 35 – Amount of Derelict and (Urban) Vacant Land (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey)

In 2014, there was a large increase in derelict mineral sites of 2,175 to 4,110 hectares (ha), mostly due to former surface coal mining sites that became derelict in East Ayrshire.

Since 2014, there has been a decrease of 2,016 (ha) (49%) in derelict mineral sites; a decrease of 1,300 (ha) (19%) in other derelict land (mostly between 2016 and 2017) and a decrease in urban vacant land of 262 (ha) (11%).

The total amount of derelict and urban vacant land decreased by 1,176 (ha) (11%) between 2019 and 2021, to 9,750 (ha). As data is missing for 2020, performance has been evaluated using twice the normal threshold (400 hectares rather than 200 hectares). This means the indicator is “improving”.

Note that Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land statistics were not published for the 2020 survey. The statistics publication was suspended for that year because of limitations to survey returns due to COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions. It was not possible to produce a robust set of Scotland figures or ensure the quality of the returns is consistent with previous years, particularly in relation to any potential new sites.

Socially Sustainable Communities

Chart 36 – The Percentage of People Who Agree that Their Council Provides a High Quality Service (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

The percentage of people who agree that their Council provides a high quality service generally increased by 6.8 percentage points from 39.9% in 2007 to 46.7% in 2014.

This was followed by a 6.0% point decrease in the following 3 years to 2017, including a large decrease of 3.9 percentage points from 44.6% in 2016 to 40.7% in 2017. In 2018, the percentage increased by 5.3 percentage points to 46.0%, falling again in 2019 to 44.3%, a 1.7 percentage point drop, resulting in a ‘worsening’ performnce for this indicator.

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting.

Chart 37 – Percentage of People Satisfied with Community Centres and Facilities (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

The percentage of people satisfied with Community Centres and Facilities increased by 5.5 percentage points from 28.9% in 2009 to 34.4% in 2016.

There was virtually no change in 2017, with the percentage remaining at 34.5%, falling to 30.7% in 2018 and then another 1.8 percentage points to 28.9% in 2019, resulting in a ‘worsening’ performance for this indicator..

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting.

Chart 38 – Percentage of People who Believe they Can Influence Decisions in Their Area (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

The percentage of people who believe they can influence decisions in their area  increased by 4.0 percentage points from 19.6% in 2007 to 23.6% in 2015.

This has since fallen each year since, reaching 17.8% in 2019, a fall of 5.8 percentage points since 2015. The fall of 2.3 percentage points in the last year results in a ‘worsening’ performance for this indiocator.

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting.

Chart 39 – Percentage of People Who Feel Safe Whilst Walking Alone in Their Neighbourhood at Night (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

Note: There has been a downward revision to previous figures for 2012 to 2016, in the range of 2.5% to 2.9%. This reflects the inclusion of people who answered ‘Don’t Know’ to this question, who were previously excluded from the results. 

There was a marked increase in the percentage of people who feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhood at night, from 72.0% in 2008 to 78.3% in 2011.

There was a change in the Scottish Household Survey questions, which mean that results from 2012 are not directly comparable with the past.

There was continued improvement in this indicator, with an increase of 3.1 percentage points from 79.8% in 2012 to 82.9% in 2016. Since then, it has remained roughly level, at 82.9% in 2019..

As data is missing for 2018, performance has been evaluated using twice the normal threshold (a change of more than 2.0 percentage points rather than 1.0). This means the indicator is “maintaining”.

Note this question was removed from the 2018 SHS questionnaire. Therefore, no data is available for 2018. Due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting.