Persistent Poverty in Scotland 2010-2017

Chapter 1: Persistent poverty in Scotland

The statistics presented below are subject to a degree of error. This means that implied changes over the years and between countries may not be significant and instead be within a given error range. More information can be found in the Background Notes and Methodology section.

Someone is in persistent poverty if they have been in poverty for three or more of the last four years. This measure is important because the longer someone is in poverty, the more it impacts on their health, well-being, and overall life chances.

Poverty estimates in this publication are derived by looking at household income before housing costs are paid for (BHC) and after housing costs are paid for (AHC).

Chart 1: Proportion of people in persistent poverty in Scotland AHC by age group

Chart 2: Proportion of people in persistent poverty in Scotland BHC by age group

1.1 People in persistent poverty

Between 2013 and 2017, 11% of people in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. This compares to 10% in 2012-16.

Before housing costs, 8% of all people in Scotland were in persistent poverty, unchanged from the previous period.

1.2 Children in persistent poverty

Persistent poverty rates were higher for children.

Children in Scotland have consistently had the highest risk of living in persistent poverty after housing costs (17% in 2013-17) when comparing with working-age adults and pensioners in Scotland (both 10%).

Between 2013 and 2017, 17% of children in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. This compares to 14% in 2012-16.

Before housing costs, 9% of children were in persistent poverty, compared to 10% in the previous period.

1.3 Working-age adults in persistent poverty

Between 2013 and 2017, 10% of working-age adults in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. This compares to 9% in 2012-16.

Before housing costs, 7% of working-age adults were in persistent poverty, compared to 6% in the previous period.

1.4 Pensioners in persistent poverty

Between 2013 and 2017, 10% of pensioners in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. This compares to 11% in 2012-16.

The estimates of pensioners in persistent poverty in Scotland were the same before and after housing costs in the most recent and the previous period.

For most groups of the population, the persistent poverty rate after housing costs is greater or the same than that before housing costs. Often, the opposite is true, or the rates are very similar, for pensioners. The majority of pensioners own their own home and so have lower housing costs. Examining pensioners' incomes after deducting housing costs allows for more meaningful comparisons of income between working-age people and pensioners, and of the pensioner population over time.