An independent assessment of the progress being made in Scotland to tackle poverty and social exclusion.

Updating the 2002 edition, this report tracks 40 indicators of poverty and social exclusion in Scotland. Using the latest data, the report illustrates both trends over time and differences relating to social class, age, gender, ethnicity and local authority area.

The authors find contrasting trends for different groups. For example, poverty for children and pensioners is falling but is rising for working-age adults without dependent children. They also find large geographic differences within Scotland, though these vary across subjects: geographic patterns of low pay, for instance, differ greatly from those for deprivation more generally.

The report raises a number of questions for policy. These focus on:

• working-age adults without dependent children; 
• economically inactive people wanting paid work; 
• low-quality jobs; 
• and Scotland’s relative ill health. 

The report is complemented by a website (www.poverty.org.uk) which updates graphs, links to other relevant sites and includes a report on UK-wide exclusion.

 

Summary

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