Scottish household survey 2018: key findings

Culture and Heritage

Attendance

Nine in 10 (90 per cent) adults were culturally engaged in 2018, either by attending or visiting a cultural event or place or by participating in a cultural activity. 

"National Indicator" - In 2018, 81 per cent of adults in Scotland attended or visited a cultural event or place. When trips to the cinema are excluded, the attendance figure was lower at 74 per cent.

Over half of respondents (56 per cent) attended the cinema in the last 12 months which made this the most common type of cultural attendance. The next most common types of cultural attendance were visits to historical or archaeological places and attendance at live music events.

Participation

"National Indicator" - In 2018, 76 per cent of adults in Scotland participated in a cultural activity. When reading is excluded, participation reduced to 53 per cent.

Cultural participation increased as deprivation decreased.

Reading for pleasure was the most common cultural activity in 2018, with 63 per cent of respondents saying that they had done this in the last year.

About a quarter of adults (24 per cent) had not participated in any cultural activity in the last 12 months.

Reading - 63%

Viewing performance online - 22%

Arts and Crafts - 16%

Satisfaction

Between 2007 and 2018 satisfaction with libraries decreased by ten percentage points from 55 per cent to 45 per cent. 

Satisfaction with libraries only

Satisfaction with theatres or concert halls and satisfaction with museums and galleries has remained relatively stable between 2007 and 2018.