Health inequalities: long-term monitoring

Introduction

Discontinuation of the Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities report

The Scottish Government is discontinuing publishing the Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities in Scotland report. The report, published annually between 2008 and 2023, presented a range of indicators designed to monitor health inequalities in Scotland over time. A link to these reports, and the background and methodology for the analysis is available here. Similar data monitoring long-term health inequalities is also published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on their ScotPHO profiles and PHS are currently developing their reporting on health inequalities, which will form a new official statistics publication. The final output is planned for later in 2026/27. They have established an expert advisory group and will be seeking input from users. If you used the previous Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities in Scotland report and would like to provide input please contact Karen Antal (karen.antal2@phs.scot).

PHS will publish an interim narrative report in March 2026, drawing on existing data in the ScotPHO profiles and summarising long-term trends in health inequalities in Scotland by area deprivation.

Due to these developments by PHS the discontinuation of the SG report avoids duplication of data and provides a clearer route for users to find information about health inequalities in Scotland.

Other sources of published data on health inequalities in Scotland include:

• The PHS website, which provides background information, and breakdowns for inequalities groups through their regular publications.
• The Scottish Health Survey dashboard which publishes population level data for Scotland which can be broken down by SIMD, allowing monitoring of health inequalities over time.

Background and methodology

• Monitoring health inequalities: background and methodology

Results and publications

• Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities March 2023 report
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: March 2022 report
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: January 2021 report
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: January 2020 report
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: December 2018 report
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: December 2017
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: March 2017
• Long Term Monitoring of Health Inequalities: Headline Indicators – October 2015
• Long Term Monitoring of Health Inequalities: Headline Indicators – October 2014
• Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities: Headline Indicators - October 2013
• Long-Term Monitoring of Health Inequalities: Headline Indicators - October 2012
• Long-Term Monitoring of Health Inequalities
• Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities - Headline Indicators - October 2010

Archived publications

• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: Headline indicators - September 2009
• Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: first report on headline indicators - September 2008