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Publication - Research and analysis

Scottish Household Survey 2019: twenty years of Scotland's people - summary report

Published
12 October 2020
Topic
Housing
ISBN
9781800041578

This publication synthesises 20 years of change (1999-2019) in Scottish society as measured by Scottish Household Survey data.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Households are Managing Better

The proportion of households reporting that they managed well financially had increased from 42% in 1999 to 56% in 2019.

The 2019 levels suggest a period of recovery following a dip between 2007 and 2012, which may be explained in part by the economic downturn during that period.

The proportion of households that did not manage well had decreased since 1999, from 13% to 8% in 2019, of all households.

This line graph shows the proportion of households managing well financially, getting by financially, and not managing well financially, and how these proportions changed between 1999 and 2019. It highlights that the majority of households were managing well in Scotland in 2019, and that this proportion had increased over time, while the proportion of households getting by financially or not managing well had decreased over this time period.

The proportion of single parent households not managing well decreased from 34% in 1999 to 19% in 2019

There is Still a Gap in Managing Well Financially Between Income Groups

More households both in the lowest and highest income groups were reporting to manage well financially in 2019 than in 1999.

The proportion of households reporting to manage well financially in the highest income group increased from 66% in 1999 to 75% in 2019.

In the lowest income group, the proportion of households reporting to manage well financially increased from 28% in 1999 to 40% in 2019.

Over the last 20 years, the lowest income households were more likely to report that they got by alright financially, or that they did not manage very well and were having financial difficulties, when compared to the highest income households.

This line graph shows the proportion of households in the highest and lowest income households that report to manage well financially between 1999 to 2019. It highlights that while the proportion of households managing well financially was increasing in both groups, significantly more households in the highest income households consistently managed well financially.

Higher income households are more likely to manage well financially

Managing Well Financially Still Differs by Age

This bar chart compares the proportion of households who report to be “Managing well financially” or “Not managing well financially” among households where the highest income earner is aged 16 to 24 and households where the highest income earner is aged 60 or over, in both 1999 and 2019. It highlights that the in both 1999 and 2019 more older households reported to manage well financially, but that this proportion had increased in both age groups in this time period.

The proportion of households managing well financially increased both for younger and older households, but older households were still more likely to report that they are managing well in 2019.

The proportion of young households, where the highest earner was aged 16 to 24, who manage well financially increased from 22% in 1999 to 50% in 2019. The proportion who did not manage well decreased from 31% to 11%.

The proportion of older households, where the highest earner was aged 60 or over, managing well financially increased from 45% in 1999 to 63% in 2019.

Half of young households (48%) reported that they managed well financially in 2019

Contact

Email: shs@gov.scot

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