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Census 2011: Key Results on Households and Families, and Method of Travel to Work or Study in Scotland - Release 2C

Census 2011: Key Results on Households and Families, and Method of Travel to Work or Study in Scotland - Release 2C

Wednesday, 18 Dec 2013
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The statistics published today by the Registrar General for Scotland on the Scotland’s Census website provide estimates of the population relating to Households and Families and Method of Travel to Work or Study in Scotland at all levels of geography from national level down to output area.

Accommodation type

  • In 2011, just over one third (34 per cent, 811,000) of households in Scotland were living in purpose-built blocks of flats or tenements, 23 per cent lived in semi-detached properties (541,000) and 22 per cent were in detached properties (520,000).
  • Higher proportions of households in detached properties were found in the more rural council areas (66 per cent in Eilean Siar, 61 per cent in Orkney Islands and 56 per cent in Shetland Islands)
  • The proportion of households in purpose-built flats or tenements was higher in the council areas containing large cities (69 per cent in Glasgow City, 60 per cent in City of Edinburgh, 48 per cent in Aberdeen City and 47 per cent in Dundee City), and also in West Dunbartonshire (48 per cent).
  • It is estimated that there were 101,000 unoccupied household spaces in Scotland in 2011, 4 per cent of the total of 2.5 million household spaces. Of these, 64 per cent (64,000) were assessed as being vacant, for example new builds or other accommodation awaiting new occupants, and 36 per cent (37,000) were classed as second or holiday homes.

Rooms and Occupancy rating

  • In 2011, households in Scotland had an average of 5.0 rooms, ranging from 4.2 in Glasgow City to 5.7 in Aberdeenshire and Eilean Siar.
  • Data from 1861 shows that 150 years ago there were almost two people (1.7) for every room in a household, whereas the 2011 average is over two rooms (2.3) for every person.
  • In 2011, 9 per cent (214,000) of household spaces in Scotland were over-occupied and 66 per cent (1.6 million) were under-occupied based on the notional number of rooms required for the people who lived there.

Household composition

  • Of the 2.4 million households in Scotland, married or same-sex civil partnered couple families (either with or without children) were the most common household type at 32 per cent (758,000), followed by households with one person aged under 65 living alone (22 per cent, 511,000) or with one person aged 65 or over living alone (13 per cent, 312,000).
  • There were 263,000 lone parent families (11 per cent of all households), of which nearly two thirds included dependent children. Nine per cent of households were cohabiting couple families (217,000), and 8 per cent (179,000) families aged 65 and over. The remaining 6 per cent (131,000) were ‘Other’ household types.
  • Since 2001, the proportion of married or same-sex civil partnered couple families fell from 38 per cent to 32 per cent of all households, whereas the proportion of cohabiting couple families rose from 7 per cent to 9 per cent.

Lone parents

  • Out of the 170,000 lone parents aged 16 to 74 in Scotland in 2011, 92 per cent (156,000) were female; this was the same proportion as in 2001.
  • In 2011, 64 per cent of male lone parents and 58 per cent of female lone parents aged 16 to 74 were in employment.
  • Both the proportion of lone parents in employment, and the hours worked by those in employment, increased between 2001 and 2011.

Children and Families

  • Of all the households in Scotland in 2011, just over a quarter (26 per cent) included at least one dependent child, which was a slight decrease from 28 per cent in 2001.
  • The council areas containing the highest proportion of households with at least one dependent child were West Lothian (32 per cent, 24,000) and East Renfrewshire (31 per cent, 12,000).
  • Comparison of families with and without children shows those including married or same-sex civil partnered couples were more likely to have children than cohabiting couples (61 per cent of married or same-sex civil partnered couple families compared with 46 per cent of cohabiting couple families).
  • In 2011, there were 614,000 families with a total of 1.0 million dependent children. Of these families, 50 per cent (304,000) included one dependent child, 37 per cent (229,000) included two dependent children and the remaining 13 per cent (81,000) included three or more dependent children.

Ethnic groups within households

  • In 2011, of the 1.5 million households containing more than one person, 84 per cent (1.3 million) contained members who shared the same ethnic group. The remaining 16 per cent (251,000) of households included multiple ethnic groups.
  • The City of Edinburgh had the highest proportion of households with differing ethnic groups, at 28 per cent of all households containing more than one person, followed by Argyll & Bute at 23 per cent and Scottish Borders at 22 per cent.

Approximated social grade

  • In 2011, of the 1.8 million households which were headed by a person aged 16 to 64, 19 per cent had an approximated social grade of AB (Higher and intermediate managerial/administrative/professional), 32 per cent were grade C1 (Supervisory, clerical, junior managerial/administrative/professional), 22 per cent were grade C2 (Skilled manual workers) and 29 per cent were grade DE (Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, those on state benefit, unemployed, lowest grade workers).
  • East Renfrewshire showed the highest proportion with AB grade at 31 per cent, followed by City of Edinburgh and East Dunbartonshire at 30 per cent.
  • City of Edinburgh showed the highest proportion with C1 grade at 36 per cent and Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands showed the highest proportion with C2 grade, both at 33 per cent.
  • Inverclyde and North Ayrshire showed the highest proportion with DE grade, both at 35 per cent.

Method of travel to place of work or study

  • Of the 2.1 million 16 to 74 year olds in employment (excluding full-time students) who travel to work, 63 per cent (1.3 million) drove a car or van, an increase from 59 per cent in 2001. The next most common methods of transport, both at 11 per cent, were travelling by bus, minibus or coach (241,000) and on foot (238,000). The proportions travelling by bus and on foot had both decreased slightly from 12 per cent in 2001.
  • The City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City were the only two council areas where less than half of the employed population aged 16 to 74 drove to work: 41 per cent (81,000) and 47 per cent (101,000) respectively. Clackmannanshire had the highest proportion, at 74 per cent (15,000).
  • The City of Edinburgh had the highest proportion of people travelling to work by bus at 29 per cent (57,000), followed by Midlothian and Glasgow City at 20 per cent (7,000 and 43,000 respectively). City of Edinburgh and Argyll & Bute had the highest proportion of people travelling to work on foot, at 18 per cent (36,000 and 6,000 respectively).
  • Of those travelling to their place of study, 45 per cent (390,000) travelled on foot, a decrease from 48 per cent in 2001, whilst 25 per cent (214,000) travelled by bus and 19 per cent were a passenger in a car or van (167,000).

The full publication, ‘2011 Census: Key Results on Households and Families, and Method of Travel to Work or Study in Scotland - Release 2C’ and relevant data can be found on the Scotland's Census website.

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