Persistent poverty in Scotland 2010-2024

This publication presents estimates of the proportion of people, children, working-age adults and pensioners living in persistent poverty in Scotland. Persistent poverty statistics are based on tracking an individual over a four-year period. An individual is in persistent poverty if they are in relative poverty for at least three of the four years.

The estimates are used to monitor progress in reducing poverty. Persistent poverty is an important measure because the longer someone is in poverty, the more it impacts on their health, well-being, and overall life chances. These impacts can affect an individual throughout their lifetime.

Key points 

• Between 2020 and 2024, 11% of people in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. These rates have changed little over time.
• Persistent poverty rates, after housing costs, were highest for children (17%), and lower for working-age adults (10%) and pensioners (9%).
• Not everyone in poverty is in persistent poverty: More than a third of people in poverty move out of poverty each year. At the same time, a similar number of people who were not in poverty in the previous year, enter or re-enter poverty.