Scottish Household Survey childcare results published

Results published today from the Scottish Household Survey 2025 show that 83% of households with a two to five year old child (not yet at school) used at least one form of childcare, similar to previous years.

The most common forms of childcare used were local authority nurseries and private nurseries, used by 43% and 27% of households respectively.

Around 4% of households used childminders, a decrease from 10% in 2018.

The survey asks respondents about their satisfaction with any funded early learning and childcare they receive, and 92% of households receiving this provision said they were either very or fairly satisfied with the quality of it.

62% of households with a child aged two to five years stated that all childcare used was either free, or funded by the local authority or Scottish Government.

For the first time, the report includes data on use of after-school clubs and breakfast clubs, for households with at least one child aged 0 to 11 years old. In households where at least one child was at school, 28% used after-school clubs and 20% used breakfast clubs.

When households with at least one child aged 0 to 11 years were asked about the affordability of childcare, almost half (47%) said that they found it easy or very easy to afford. However, 12% said that they found it difficult and a further 7% said they found it very difficult to afford childcare.

Background

The full statistical publication  is available with further information on the use of childcare within Scotland, including information on types of childcare used, use of funded early learning and childcare, satisfaction with funded provision, and affordability of childcare.

The results are from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). It is an annual survey of the general population in Scotland, carried out since 1999. It aims to collect reliable and up-to-date information on a range of topics, through a random sample of people in private residences. Further information on the survey and the methodology used is available.

Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.