Publications

This report picks up from the previous work commissioned by the Health Foundation as part of their independent review of health inequalities in Scotland. We now have more evidence of the impact of the pandemic and can see that people have endured steep rises in the cost of living that have affected living standards across Scotland. This report highlights a worsening situation in socioeconomic and health inequalities. The pandemic has played a role, but the roots of this decline stretch back long before this.

Data used in the 2024 report can be downloaded here

A HTML version of the report is available here

Download a replication file to reproduce the analysis of data obtained from the UK Data Service using Stata here

Data at a glance – charts from report with most up to date data (available for download) can be accessed here

Prevention Watch is a regular Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) briefing that looks at prevention as a means of public service delivery to reduce health inequalities in Scotland.

This is our second edition of Prevention Watch and in this edition we cover:

1. Public Health Scotland’s typology of prevention
2. Prevention in the the 2025/26 Scottish Budget
3. Audit Scotland reporting on health prevention
4. Public Health Scotland’s Care and Wellbeing Dashboard

A PDF version can be accessed here

This reactive stats briefing examines Public Health Scotland’s annual report on the weight status of Primary 1 children, emphasising the profound influence of socio-economic factors, with higher obesity risks among children in the most deprived areas. Addressing this challenge requires tackling root causes such as food insecurity, enhancing access to nutritious food, and accounting for the role of commercial determinants in shaping health outcomes.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available or here or click below.

The number of people awarded adult disability benefits has risen across Great Britain post-pandemic, with a more substantial rise in Scotland. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Resolution Foundation have documented the increase in new awards for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales in the post-pandemic period. In this briefing we replicate IFS analysis with data from the two years prior to the pandemic (2018-19 and 2019-20) and two years post pandemic (2022-23 and 2023-24). We also look briefly at the latest data for May – July 2024 where there are indications of ADP claimants falling in Scotland relative to England and Wales.

A PDF version is available here or click below.

This publication compares results from the 2022 and 2011 censuses, looking at how key health and socioeconomic indicators changed across the decade, especially for people living in the most deprived areas. These indicators include self-reported health and disability, migration status, ethnicity, employment, education, and housing.

A PDF version of this report is available here or click below.

This reactive stats briefing examines Scotland’s life expectancy data for 2021-2023, revealing persistent inequalities driven by socioeconomic factors and the lasting effects of COVID-19. The findings highlight a notable gap in life expectancy based on deprivation levels, emphasising the urgent need to address the underlying social determinants that contribute to health inequalities across Scotland.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

Prevention Watch is a regular Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) briefing that looks at prevention as a means of public service delivery to reduce health inequalities in Scotland. By prevention, we are referring to public policy interventions that prevent poor outcomes in the future, as opposed to policy which intervenes to mitigate harms once they have already occurred or subsequently deals with the consequences.

You can read a PDF version of this report here.

This reactive stats briefing covers the latest homelessness statistics in Scotland (2023-24) which reveal an escalating housing crisis, with increases in homelessness applications, temporary accommodation use, and rough sleeping. These trends underline the strong connection between housing instability and health inequalities, as unstable living conditions contribute to poorer physical and mental health.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

This reactive stats briefing covers the 2023 alcohol-specific deaths statistics released by the National Records of Scotland on 10th September 2024. It highlights that alcohol deaths in Scotland have been rising, particularly among men in deprived areas. Despite interventions like Minimum Unit Pricing, disparities persist, emphasising the need for broader actions to address the social, economic, and health inequalities contributing to these outcomes.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

Two new studies of the health impacts of cash transfers reach conflicting conclusions: are there lessons for Scottish efforts to improve health and reduce health inequalities?

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

A paper by the Resolution Foundation, published in May 2024, covered a number of different areas to explain trends in housing in England. This paper moves through a series of themes related to housing that were presented in the original Resolution Foundation analysis for England. Our aim is to provide a sense of similarities and differences between the Scottish and English experiences. We finish with some reflections on what governments across the UK can learn from policy choices made.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

This reactive statistics briefing highlights the widening attainment gap between students from the most and least deprived areas in Scotland, as reported in the latest Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results. It emphasises the need to tackle this issue further due to its impact on important life outcomes, including career opportunities, academic success, and long-term health.

A link to a downloadable pdf is available here or click below.

Publications

2024 Inequality Landscape: Health and Socioeconomic Divides in Scotland

Report

Prevention Watch January 2025

Primary 1 Body Mass Index statistics Scotland, 2023/24

Reactive Stats Summary

New awards of disability benefits for adults

Comparing Scotland with England and Wales

Scotland's Census: Understanding changes in health and socioeconomic inequality since 2011

Life expectancy is Scotland statistics, 2021-2023

Reactive Stats Summary

Prevention Watch October 2024

Homelessness in Scotland Statistics, 2023-24

Reactive Stats Summary

Alcohol-specific deaths statistics, 2023

Reactive Stats Summary

The Health Impacts of Cash Transfers

Research Spotlight

Housing in England and Scotland: Comparing Scottish data with English analysis by the Resolution Foundation

Comparative stats

2024 SQA Attainment Statistics

Reactive Stats Summary