Young people's attitudes to immigration: findings from the Young People in Scotland Survey 2017

4. Do people from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place?

Young people were asked how much, if at all, they agreed or disagreed with the statement that people from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place.

Over a third of the total sample (37%) agreed that immigrants make the country a better place; and a further third neither agreed nor disagreed. However, almost one in five disagreed with the statement. 9% said they did not know, and a further 2% preferred not to say (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1: 'People from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place' (N=1,781)

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2017, Ipsos MORI.

Variations in attitudes between sub-groups

Year group

More than a third of young people in each year group agreed with the statement that people from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place. A further third neither agreed not disagreed with the statement.

Almost half of respondents in the oldest group (S6) agreed that immigrants who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place.

The older people were, the less likely they were to give a 'don't know' response (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2: 'People from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place,' by year group (N=1,755)

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2017, Ipsos MORI.

Socio-economic background

Young people in the least socio-economically deprived group were the most likely to agree that immigrants make the country a better place (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3: 'People from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place,' by SIMD (N=1,781)

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2017, Ipsos MORI.

Ethnicity

Respondents in BME groups were more likely (49%) than White young people (36%) to agree that people from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4: 'People from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place,' by ethnicity (N=1,672)

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2017, Ipsos MORI.

Religious affiliation

As Figure 4.5 shows, almost half of non-Christians (47%) agreed that immigrants who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place. This was a greater proportion than Christians (40%) or those who had no religion (36%) who agreed with the statement (Figure 4.5).

Figure 4.5: 'People from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place,' by religious affiliation (N=1,540)

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2017, Ipsos MORI.