Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2015-18

This publication presents three-year averaged estimates of the percentage of people, children, working-age adults and pensioners in Scotland living in poverty, and other statistics on household income and income inequality. These estimates are used to monitor progress in reducing poverty and income inequality.

Key trends

• Poverty rates continue to rise.
• Income inequality continues to rise.
• Median household income is rising slowly

Relative poverty
Poverty rate continues to rise

20% of people in Scotland were living in relative poverty after housing costs in 2015-18. Overall, the poverty rate continues to rise.

Income inequality
Palma inequality measure continues to rise

The Palma coefficient measures income inequality. The top 10% of the population in Scotland had 27% more income in 2015-18 than the bottom 40% combined.

Household income
Overall household income rising slowly

Median income before housing costs in Scotland in 2015-18 was £499 a week – an increase of only £1 per week compared to 2014-17.

Lead Statistician: Maike Waldmann

social-justice-analysis@gov.scot

@EqualityPoverty

Comments? Feedback is welcome

Published 28 March 2019
Next edition in March 2020

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