Scottish Government
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Rural Scotland key facts 2008

Rural Scotland Key Facts 2008 is published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician.

This is the fifth edition of an annual publication presenting statistics, drawn from a variety of sources, in one pocket-sized book (and web publication).

It contains key data with an emphasis on comparisons between remote rural, accessible rural and the rest of Scotland. Topics covered include demographics; household composition; housing; neighbourhoods and communities; transport; internet and broadband; health; local services; business characteristics; and employment.

It has been extended this year to include information on :

  • Births and deaths
  • Country of birth,
  • Children living in workless households,
  • Earnings (gross annual pay)
  • Patterns of work including part-time, second jobs and homeworkers
  • Gender breakdown of employment rates and job characteristics
  • Business characteristics
  • Total public sector employment

The statistics include:

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

Demographics

  • In all three geographical areas in 2005/6 the numbers of births and deaths were similar.
  • There was net immigration in all areas, but particularly in the accessible rural areas.
  • 20 per cent of residents in remote rural areas were born in the UK but outside Scotland compared with 17 per cent of residents in accessible rural areas and only 8 per cent in the rest of Scotland. In the rest of Scotland 6 per cent of residents were from outside UK compared with only 3 per cent in rural areas.
  • Compared with the rest of Scotland rural areas have fewer people aged 15-34 but more children and more people aged 40-69

Households

  • Rural areas have fewer single adult households and a higher percentage of 'older smaller' households
  • Only 5 per cent of children in rural areas are in workless households, compared with 7 per cent in accessible rural areas and 17 per cent in the rest of Scotland
  • In remote rural areas 43 per cent of households are classed as being in fuel poverty compared to 30 per cent in accessible rural and 21 per cent in rest of Scotland

Neighbourhood and Community

Residents in rural Scotland are more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a very good place to live, and are also more likely to feel very safe while home alone at night.

SERVICES AND LIFESTYLE

Access and Convenience of Services

  • People in rural areas are less likely to find that services are convenient relative to people in the rest of Scotland
  • Households in rural Scotland are more likely to have home internet access and are more likely to have broadband connection

Travel Patterns

  • More households in rural areas have access to one or more cars. They are more likely to drive to work/education, and are more likely to spend over £100 per month on fuel for their cars

Health

  • Life expectancy is higher in rural areas by more than two years for men and more than one year for women.

Housing

  • In 2007 the average house price in accessible rural areas was £13,000 higher than in remote rural areas and over £44,000 higher than in rest of Scotland. These figures are not adjusted for property size
  • Properties in rural Scotland tend to be a house or bungalow. In the rest of Scotland a third of properties are flats compared to just 8 per cent in accessible rural and 5 per cent in remote rural Scotland
  • Five per cent of households in remote rural areas were classified as having good energy efficiency compared to 35 per cent in accessible rural and 52 per cent in the rest of Scotland

ECONOMY AND ENTERPRISE

Industry Significance

  • 'Agriculture, forestry and fishing' accounts for 16% of employment in remote rural areas, while 'Hotels and restaurants' accounts for 13 per cent
  • In accessible rural areas 'Manufacturing' and 'Financial intermediation, Real estate, renting and business activities' are the two most significant industries in term of employment.
  • In the rest of Scotland financial services accounts for 18 per cent of jobs.
  • The public sector accounts for a fifth of employment in rural areas and a quarter of employment in the rest of Scotland

Economic Activity

  • Employment rates are higher in rural areas (84 per cent in accessible rural areas, 81 per cent in remote rural and 79 per cent in the rest of Scotland)
  • Unemployment rates are lower in rural areas
  • For those aged over 50 employment rates are higher in rural areas. (78 per cent in accessible, 75 per cent in remote compared with 70 per cent in the rest of Scotland)
  • One in four men in rural areas is self employed compared to one in eight in the rest of Scotland
  • Workers in remote rural areas are more likely than others to have a second job
  • Women in rural areas are more likely to be in employment than women in the rest of Scotland. In work they are more likely to be self employed, to work part time, or to be homeworkers

Income

  • Median gross pay (i.e. before taxation and other deductions) for full-time employees is highest in accessible rural areas: £25,371 compared with £23,248 in remote rural areas and £22,659 in the rest of Scotland
  • 56 per cent of households in accessible rural areas have annual net household income above £20,000 compared with 48 per cent in remote rural and 42 per cent in the rest of Scotland

Size of Business

  • Micro and other small businesses account for over half of the jobs in remote rural areas, 41 per cent in accessible rural areas, and just a third in the rest of Scotland
  • Large firms provide 14 per cent of jobs in remote rural areas, 28 per cent in accessible rural areas and 40 per cent in the rest of Scotland

Obstacles to Success of Business

  • In remote rural areas, the greatest obstacles to success of a SME business were perceived to be the economy and obtaining finance. In accessible rural areas survey respondents saw Regulations and Taxation, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance, business rates as the greatest obstacle to success

The definition of remote rural and accessible rural is based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification. Most of the tables and charts make use of the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2007-2008, but where the data was collected in 2005 or 2006 then the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2005-2006 is used.

Some table and charts contained in previous editions have not been included. This is mainly due to the inclusion of new tables presenting similar information or because they were considered to be out of date.

The data on the size of industrial sectors and on enterprise size has been revised. Scrutiny of the methodology used previously led to a number of changes in the way in which businesses were assigned to the Scottish Government urban rural classification. This has led to a more robust/accurate analysis. The public sector has also been included as a separate category in order to give a more complete picture. Figures on the size of industrial sectors and on enterprise size in previous editions should no longer be used.

Also published today are new figures that present various poverty measures by urban/rural areas and areas of multiple deprivation. These are additional to "Scottish Households Below Average Income, 2006/07" which was released in June 2008.

The figures show that the percentage of individuals living in poverty is slightly lower in rural than in urban areas

National statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/08/27154843/0

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About

 

 

 

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