Rural Scotland Data Dashboard: Overview

2. Successes

• The Gross Value Added (GVA) for rural local authorities in 2021 was £39,075 million (26% of the Scottish total).
• Employment rates for males and females are mostly higher in rural areas. People of working age are most economically active in islands and remote rural areas.
• Confidence in the economic outlook for Scotland has increased amongst rural businesses since late 2022.
• Rural businesses are taking action to help Scotland meet net zero by 2045, including by reducing their emissions and by upskilling or reskilling their staff.
• In 2021-22, the majority of secondary school leavers in rural areas had a positive destination. Across Scotland, this was highest in accessible rural (95%) and remote rural (95%) areas and lowest in remote small towns (92%).
• The proportion of 16-19 year olds in rural areas that were participating in education, training or employment in 2022 was also in line with the rest of Scotland.
• Both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are higher in rural Scotland than in urban areas. They are highest in remote rural areas.
• Overall, satisfaction with local health services is relatively high across rural and remote rural areas, including islands.
• GP to patient ratios are higher in rural Scotland. It is highest in remote rural areas.
• Perceptions of general health among school pupils are slightly higher in accessible rural areas than in remote rural and urban areas.
• Primary and secondary school pupils in rural and remote rural areas have healthier diets than those in urban areas.
• The experiences of both those receiving care and unpaid carers are better in remote rural areas, than elsewhere in Scotland.

2.1 Economy

The dashboard provides evidence of economic successes in rural Scotland, in terms of economic activity, incomes in accessible rural areas, and the actions being taken by rural businesses to meet net zero targets by 2045.

The Gross Value Added (GVA) for rural local authorities in 2021 was £39,075 million (26% of the Scottish total). GVA was highest in larger cities at 41%, followed by urban with substantial rural areas at 33%; mainly rural areas at 23%; and lowest in island and remote areas at 3%. GVA fell across Scotland in 2019-20 following EU exit, and then recovered.^[17]

Economic activity and inactivity rates are comparable in accessible and remote rural areas, and the rest of Scotland. People of working age are most economically active in islands and remote rural areas at 78%, compared to 74% in mainly rural areas and larger cities.^[18]

Employment rates for males and females are mostly higher in rural areas. For females aged 16 to 64 the highest employment rate is in accessible rural areas (74%) while for males aged 16 to 64 it is in remote rural areas (84%). Overall, employment rates for males aged 16 to 64 are higher than for females aged 16 to 64 in all areas of Scotland.^[19]

Self-employment is more common in rural Scotland. Almost a quarter of people in remote rural areas (23%) are self-employed, compared to 16% in accessible rural areas and 9% in the rest of Scotland. More employees in remote rural areas have a second job than anywhere else.^[20]

Incomes are higher in accessible rural areas than the rest of Scotland. The annual net income of the highest income householder was £40,001 and over in almost a third (32%) of accessible rural households, compared to less than a quarter (23%) of households in both remote rural areas and the rest of Scotland.^[21]

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) employ more people in both accessible and remote rural areas than in the rest of Scotland. Micro businesses (0-9 employees) account for almost half (45%) of employment in remote rural areas and over a third (35%) in accessible rural areas, compared to only 15% in large urban areas (using a 6-fold urban-rural classification).^[22]

Confidence in the economic outlook for Scotland has increased amongst rural businesses and many are taking action to help Scotland meet net zero by 2045.^[23] In 2023, two fifths (40%) of businesses in the Highlands and Islands stated that they are already reducing emissions, and a further 7% said they were intending to within six months.^[24] Over a third (34%) of businesses are either already measuring their carbon emissions (27%) or intending to do so within six months (7%).

Over two thirds of businesses in the Highlands and Islands (68%) were taking action in relation to the energy efficiency of their premises, or planning to within six months. The most common action being taken or planned was surveying premises for energy efficiency (50%).

2.2 Education and skills

The Rural Scotland Data Dashboard points to mixed success in rural and remote rural areas in terms of educational measures.

In literacy, primary school pupils in accessible rural areas show higher rates of achievement than those in remote rural areas. In 2021-22 almost three quarters (73%) of primary school pupils in accessible rural areas achieved the expected Curriculum for Excellence Level for reading. This was lower in remote rural areas (64%) and remote small towns (61%).^[25]

In numeracy, primary school pupils in accessible rural areas show higher rates of achievement than those in urban areas. Again, the number of primary school pupils in 2021-22 who achieved the expected Curriculum for Excellence Level in numeracy was lower in remote rural areas.^[26]

Recent figures suggest that primary and secondary school pupils in both rural and urban Scotland have a positive attitude to school. The majority (80-81%) of pupils across rural and remote rural areas agreed that they enjoy learning new things.^[27]

School leaver attainment is similar in both rural and urban areas, and has remained largely the same over time. For example, in 2021-22 the majority (97%) of mainstream secondary school leavers in both remote rural areas and accessible rural areas had 1 or more SCQF Level 4 or better. This is the same as in 2017-8.^[28]

The majority of secondary school leavers in rural Scotland in 2021-22 had a positive destination. Across Scotland, this was highest in accessible rural (95%) and remote rural (95%) areas and lowest in remote small towns (92%). The highest percentage of school leavers in employment was in remote rural areas (43%).^[29]

In terms of apprenticeships, in 2021 almost two fifths of (37%) Foundation Apprenticeship^[30] starts at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 in Scotland were in Mainly Rural areas. This has increased since 2016, when 29% were in Mainly Rural areas.^[31]

In 2022-23, almost a third (29%) of all Modern Apprenticeship^[32] starts in Scotland were in mainly rural areas, with 3% in islands and remote rural areas. In the same period, just over a tenth of employed 16-24 year olds in islands and remote rural areas (13%), and mainly rural areas (11%) were Modern Apprentices, compared 9% in urban with substantial rural areas, and only 5% in larger cities.^[33]

The proportion of 16-19 year olds that were participating in education, training or employment in rural areas in 2023 was 96%; slightly above the overall figure for Scotland (94%). The highest percentage of 16-19 year olds participating in education in 2023 was in large urban areas (74%), with the lowest in remote small towns (64%). Participation in employment was highest in remote rural areas (28%) and remote small towns (29%).^[34]

In 2022, over two fifths (41%) of rural businesses stated that they are currently taking action to upskill or reskill their staff, or plan to. They are looking for specific skills. Food and drink businesses were more likely to be seeking skills in low carbon (60%), whilst tourism businesses were more likely to be looking to develop customer or client-facing skills (82%).^[35]

2.3 Health and social care

Life expectancy is higher in rural Scotland. It is highest in remote rural areas, at around 79 years for males and around 83 for females.^[36] Healthy life expectancy is also higher in rural Scotland. In 2019-21, healthy life expectancy for females in remote rural areas was around 66 years, almost six years higher than for females in large urban areas (60.6 years).^[37]

Overall, satisfaction with local health services is relatively high across rural and remote rural Scotland. Satisfaction is highest in remote rural areas (85%) and lowest in accessible small towns (71%), compared to 80% in large urban areas.^[38] On islands, the majority of islanders (84%) agree they could easily access a GP.^[39]

On average, there are more General Practices (GPs) per patient in rural areas. In remote rural areas, there are around 2,200 patients for every GP compared to over 4,500 in accessible rural areas and 6,500 in large urban areas.

General Practitioner to patient ratio is higher in rural Scotland. It is highest in remote rural areas (14.8 per 10,000 patients) and accessible rural areas (9.7), and lowest in other urban areas (8.1).^[40]

Perceptions of general health among primary and secondary school pupils in accessible rural areas are slightly higher than in remote rural and urban areas. Over three quarters rated their health as 'good or excellent' (76%) compared to 74% in remote rural areas and 72% in remote small towns.^[41]

Primary and secondary school pupils in rural and remote rural areas have healthier diets than those in urban areas. For example, 40% of pupils in remote rural areas eat vegetables at least once a day, 10% more than in large urban areas. In accessible rural and remote rural areas, pupils were most likely to eat fruit once a day.^[42]

Experience of care is better in remote rural areas. For example, 69% of people receiving care, surveyed in remote rural areas, agreed that they feel supported to live as independently as possible, compared to 65% in large urban areas. The highest percentage of people who agreed that the help, care or support they receive improved or maintained their quality of life were in remote rural areas (68%), followed by remote small towns (63%), higher than in Scotland as a whole (60%).^[43]

The experiences of unpaid carers are also most positive in remote rural areas, where over a third (35%) that they feel supported to continue caring. They are least positive in accessible rural areas, where less than a quarter (24%) agreed.^[44]

There is a mixed picture in terms of other health data. Emergency hospital admissions are lower in remote rural and accessible rural areas than in the rest of Scotland. In contrast, the highest rates for cancer admissions are in remote rural areas, with the lowest cancer admission rate being in accessible rural areas.^[45]