This report provides an in-depth examination of socioeconomic and health inequalities across Scotland. Established to scrutinize health policies and advocate for equity, SHERU collaborates with the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Health Policy and the Fraser of Allander Institute. The report identifies rising relative poverty rates, stagnant or worsening health outcomes, and the persistence of socioeconomic disparities, especially among children and young adult men. Highlighted topics include income inequality, employment, housing, education, and healthcare access, with a focus on populations disproportionately affected by poverty and health challenges. It calls for improved data quality, targeted policy interventions, and accountability measures to address Scotland's widening health disparities.
Authors
Allison Catalano, Emma Congreve, David Jack, Katherine Smith
Related Organizations
- Pages
- 36
- Published in
- United Kingdom
Table of Contents
- Allison Catalano Emma Congreve 1
- David Jack 1
- Katherine Smith 1
- September 2024 1
- Table of Contents 2
- Who we are 3
- Funding 3
- Citation 3
- Acknowledgments 3
- Foreword 4
- About SHERU 4
- Executive Summary 5
- Introduction 7
- Trends in Health Inequalities 9
- Life behind the data 10
- Household incomes 11
- Inequalities in household incomes are deeply connected to Scotlands dramatic differences in health outcomes for poorer and richer groups. 11
- A note on data used in this section 11
- Policy context 12
- Definitions Income inequality poverty and multiple deprivation 12
- Key trends in income inequalities 13
- Spotlight The Scottish Child Payment 14
- How can we improve our understanding of trends 14
- Life behind the data 15
- Policy Context 16
- Employment 16
- Key trends in employment inequalities 17
- Spotlight The disability employment gap 18
- How can we improve our understanding of trends 18
- Life behind the data 19
- Housing and homelessness 20
- While some aspects of housing availability and affordability have improved differences in outcomes between the wealthiest and poorest households in Scotland have widened. 20
- Key trends in housing inequalities 21
- Key trends in homelessness 22
- Spotlight Private sector rents 23
- How can we improve our understanding of trends 23
- Life behind the data 24
- Policy context 25
- Education 25
- By and large educational attainment and qualification trends have returned to pre-pandemic levels for better or worse with large gaps between deprived and non-deprived areas. 25
- Key trends in education inequalities 26
- How can we improve our understanding of trends 27
- Spotlight Mental health and educational attainment 27
- Life behind the data 28
- Populations of concern 29
- In the Health Foundation highlighted children and young adult men as particular populations of concern due to significant and persistent health inequalities. 29
- Families with young children a data shapshot 30
- Younger adult men a data snapshot 31
- Conclusion 32
- Sources 34
