Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2009 Annual Report.
The SHS is a survey of households across the whole of Scotland, and is designed to provide reliable and up-to-date information on the composition, characteristics and behaviour of Scottish households and individuals on a range of issues, both nationally and at a sub-national level.
It covers a wide range of key topics including household composition; housing; neighbourhoods and communities; economic activity; finance and childcare; education; transport; internet and broadband; health and caring; local services; volunteering; culture and sport. An associated publication, Main Transport Trends 2010, is also being published. This includes a summary of a range of transport statistics in Scotland to present main trends, including some comparisons with Great Britain (or the UK).
Some of the main results from the SHS, set out in more detail in the main report, are:
Neighbourhoods and communities
93.6 per cent of adults rate their neighbourhood as a very or fairly good place to live. This rating has been consistently high since the first SHS in 1999 but this year’s percentage is the highest positive rating reported in that time.
Adults living in rural areas of Scotland are more likely to say their neighbourhood is ‘very good’ (79 per cent of those living in remote rural areas for example) as compared to those from urban (49 per cent of those in large urban areas). Similarly, adults typically rate their neighbourhoods lower when they live within higher levels of deprivation.
The aspect of neighbourhoods that people who rate their neighbourhood positively like most about their area is a ‘sense of community.’ 71 per cent of adults say they like the sense of community in their neighbourhood.
Volunteering
Around three-in-ten adults (28 per cent) have provided unpaid help to organisations or individuals in the last 12 months. Unpaid help is most likely to be provided by those who are self-employed (37 per cent) and those in higher or further education (36 per cent).
Culture and sport
Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) have participated in cultural activities in the last 12 months.
74 per cent of adults attended cultural events or visited cultural places in the last 12 months.
Scottish Government News Release: LINK
Scottish Household Survey – Annual Report: LINK
Scottish Household Survey: LINK
Search Planning Resource: LINK
