Census 2011: Release 3J

Detailed characteristics on Housing and Accommodation in Scotland

The statistics published today by the Registrar General for Scotland on the Scotland’s Census  website present further details on housing and accommodation (Release 3J), from national to local level. 

Key points

Accommodation type by tenure by number of rooms by household size

• In 2011, just over a third (35 per cent or 823,000) of households comprised one person, 34 per cent (808,000) two people, 27 per cent (630,000) three or four people and 5 per cent (112,000) five or more people.
• A quarter (25 per cent) of houses or bungalows were single person households  compared with 52 per cent of flats. In contrast, 6 per cent of houses or bungalows comprised five or more people compared with just 2 per cent of flats.
• There was a clear association between the number of rooms occupied by a household and the number of people in the household. For example, 30 per cent of houses or bungalows and 26 per cent of flats with six or more rooms comprised four or more people.
• The proportion of households living in houses and bungalows with four or more rooms available was higher than the proportion for households living in flats, 94 per cent and 63 per cent respectively. Owner occupied houses and bungalows generally had a higher number of rooms: 51 per cent had six or more rooms compared with 10 per cent of social rented houses and bungalows and 32 per cent of private rented houses and bungalows.

Accommodation type by type of central heating in household by tenure

• Just 2 per cent (55,000) of the 2.4 million households in Scotland reported they had no central heating in the 2011 Census. This proportion was slightly higher for flats (4 per cent) and for households in private rented accommodation (6 per cent). It was lowest for semi-detached houses (1 per cent) and for social rented accommodation (also 1 per cent).

Accommodation type by household spaces

• The 2011 Census estimated that there were 101,000 unoccupied household spaces in Scotland, 4 per cent of the total of 2.5 million household spaces. Of these unoccupied household spaces, 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.
• Around two thirds (67 per cent) of the unoccupied second or holiday homes were houses or bungalows and the other 33 per cent were flats. Forty nine per cent of unoccupied household spaces assessed as vacant were houses or bungalows and 51 per cent were flats.

National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SeC) by tenure

• In 2011, 84 per cent of the 343,000 people in households in Scotland who were aged 16 to 74 and in the NS-SeC category ‘Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations’ owned their property, including 29 per cent who owned it outright and 56 per cent who owned it with a mortgage or loan. Of the remainder, 3 per cent lived in social rented accommodation and 13 per cent in private rented accommodation.
• Of the 191,000 people in the NS-SeC category ‘Never worked and long-term unemployed’, over half (57 per cent) lived in social rented accommodation, 27 per cent owned their property and 16 per cent lived in private rented accommodation.
• In 2011, 61 per cent of the 787,000 people aged 16 to 74 in Scotland who lived in social rented accommodation were in the NS-SeC categories ‘Semi-routine occupations’ (23 per cent), ‘Routine occupations’ (24 per cent) and ‘Never worked and long-term unemployed’ (14 per cent).

Tenure by general health by long-term health problem or disability by age

• Just under a fifth (19 per cent) of the 5.2 million people living in households in Scotland in 2011 had a long-term health problem or disability which limited their day-to-day activities. This proportion was 16 per cent for people who owned their property, 32 per cent for people in social rented accommodation and 13 per cent for those living in private rented accommodation.
• In 2011, 5 per cent of all people living in households reported their general health as being ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. This proportion was higher for those in social rented accommodation (12 per cent) than for those who owned their property or were in private rented accommodation (both 4 per cent).
• Older people are more likely to have a long-term health problem or disability. The proportion of people aged 65 and over with a long-term health problem or disability was 46 per cent for those who owned their property, 68 per cent for those in social rented accommodation and 56 per cent for those in private rented accommodation. 

Long-term health conditions by tenure

• The 2011 Census showed that the proportion of people in households who lived in social rented accommodation was higher for those with one or more long-term health conditions (30 per cent) than for those with no such condition (18 per cent). This proportion was highest for people with a learning disability (52 per cent) and with a mental health condition (50 per cent).

Length of residence in the UK by tenure

• In 2011, 7 per cent (348,000) of the 5.2 million people living in households in Scotland were born outside the UK. The proportion of these people living in private rented accommodation decreased with their length of residence in the UK: it was 75 per cent for people resident for less than two years decreasing to 14 per cent for people resident for ten years or more. Conversely, the proportion of people born outside the UK in households that owned their property increased with length of residence in the UK: it was 14 per cent for people resident for less than two years increasing to 71 per cent for people resident for ten years or more.

The tables of census results covered in Release 3J are listed below. They are a mixture of ‘Detailed Characteristics’ (DC) and ‘Local Characteristics’ (LC) tables. DC versions of tables include the most complex cross-tabulations and are therefore not available at smaller geographic areas (generally available down to postcode sectors). LC versions of tables include less complex cross-tabulations and are therefore available down to the lowest geographic levels (generally census output areas). In some instances, no LC version of a table is produced as a statistical disclosure control measure. Similarly, the DC version of some tables is produced for council areas only.

Tables included in Release 3J

All the data contained in this release can be accessed on the Scotland’s Census website.