Scottish household survey 2018: key findings

Neighbourhoods and Communities

Ratings

In 2018, the majority of adults (57 per cent) rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live

Ratings of neighbourhoods have been consistently high since 1999 with over nine in 10 adults (90 per cent) viewing their neighbourhood as a very or fairly good place to live.

Whilst neighbourhoods were rated positively overall, the strength of view varied with those in rural areas rating their neighbourhoods higher than those in cities.

Those in accessible or remote rural areas were most likely to describe their neighbourhood as a very good place to live (69 per cent and 77 per cent respectively)

In contrast, just over half (53 per cent) of those in large urban areas rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live.

Positive neighbourhood rating increased as area deprivation decreased.

Only 29 per cent of adults in the 10 per cent most deprived areas rated it as very good place to live. 

Whereas 78 per cent in the 10 per cent least deprived areas rated this way. 

Rating of neighbourhood as a very good place to live varied by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

*Calculation based on unrounded data

Strengths, belonging, involvement, discrimination

"National Indicator" - In 2018, over half (59 per cent) of adults agreed that there were places in their neighbourhood where people could meet up and socialise.

91 per cent of adults in Scotland strongly agreed that they would help their neighbours in an emergency.

83 per cent of adults living in Scotland believed their neighbourhood is one where people are kind to each other. This perception of kindness improved with age.

78 per cent of adults felt a very strong or fairly strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. This varied by age, ethnicity and deprivation.

8 per cent of adults reported that they had experienced discrimination and six per cent of adults reported that they had experienced harassment in Scotland at some point over the last twelve months.

30 per cent of respondents who had been discriminated against believed the reason behind this was their ethnic origin or nationality.

14 per cent of younger people (16-24) experienced discrimination in 2018.

Loneliness

"National Indicator" - One in five (21 per cent) adults reported that they had experienced loneliness within the last week.

Those living in the most deprived areas (28 per cent) were almost twice as likely to experience loneliness as those living in the least deprived areas (16 per cent).

Over one third (35 per cent) of adults with a long-term health condition reported that they felt lonely, which is two times more than adults without a long-term health condition (16 per cent).

Adults living alone were the most likely to report feelings of loneliness.

Problems

In 2018, 46 per cent of all adults in Scotland reported that they had experienced no neighbourhood problems. 

For those who did experience neighbourhood problems, differences can be seen between area deprivation levels.