Health Inequalities in Scotland 2000 to 2020
In 2022, researchers at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow were funded by the Health Foundation to write a report describing trends in health inequalities over the last two decades in Scotland. This website presents our key findings.
Key findings
Health inequalities in Scotland are not inevitable
Despite concern at the generally worsening trends we now face, there was a period of health improvement and narrowing of absolute inequalities in the first decade of the 21st century.
Health consistently worsens as deprivation increases, but the most deprived are faring particularly badly
Rates of poor health are especially high for people living in the most deprived areas and experiencing the highest levels of deprivation.
Health inequalities don’t always match patterns in health behaviours
The risk of ill health typically increases with disadvantage, but the same isn’t always seen for health behaviours which can have minimal or even reversed social gradients.
Inequalities in health and life expectancy are large
People living in the most deprived tenth of areas in Scotland can expect to live almost 25 years less in good health than people living in the most affluent areas.
Children’s start in life is not equal
Some aspects of child health have been improving, including smoking in pregnancy and child development, but there are wide inequalities for childhood immunisations and risk of obesity.
Young and middle-aged men are faring particularly badly
Men are more likely to experience deaths of despair (suicide, drugs and alcohol) and more likely to be affected by multiple overlapping social disadvantages such as homelessness, justice involvement, opioid dependence, and psychosis.