Scottish Social Attitudes survey marks 25 years tracking Scotland’s changing views

The latest Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey, published by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen), reveals that public trust in the Scottish Government has fallen to its lowest level since the advent of devolution. ScotCen has conducted an annual high-quality survey charting social and political attitudes since its beginning in 1999, with the aim of providing impartial, in-depth evidence on the climate of public opinion north of the border.

Falling trust in the Scottish Government

• Only 47% of respondents said they trust the Scottish Government to work in Scotland’s best interests, down from 61% in 2019 and compared with 81% when devolution began in 1999.
• Just 36% believe the Scottish Government is good at listening to people before making decisions, the lowest amount since 2006.

Lowest level of satisfaction with the health service since 1999 

• Satisfaction with the NHS in Scotland has fallen to 22%, a level comparable with the rest of Britain. This follows a 2023 finding in which 69% of people felt that the standard of the health service had declined.
• This represents the lowest level of satisfaction and the highest perception of a decline in standards since the time series began in 1999.
• In 2024, just over two in five adults in Scotland (41%) said they were living comfortably or doing alright financially, while around one in four (24%) reported that they were really struggling.

Whilst these figures represent marginal improvements from 2023, they continue to remain significantly less positive than the pre-pandemic situation

National identity and constitutional preferences

• Most people in Scotland continue to identify as Scottish, though the 74% saying in 2024 that it was at least one of their identities is a reduction from 84% who said so in 1999.
• Support for independence remains significantly higher than in the early years of devolution, now averaging close to half of the electorate.
• Support for independence now stands at 47% in 2024, up from just 27% when devolution began in 1999.

Paul Bradshaw, Director of the Scottish Centre for Social Research, said: "The Scottish Social Attitudes survey provides a unique and incredibly valuable time series for monitoring trends and understanding public attitudes, to help support and develop effective policies and identify government priorities. These latest results show a clear decline in trust in the Scottish Government, alongside continued concern about public services and the economy. While Scots remain strongly attached to their Scottish identity, our data suggest that confidence in political institutions is under pressure, a finding that will be important for policymakers and the public alike."