Roma people in Scotland: an analysis of Scotland’s Census 2022
This report uses the new availability of Scotland's Census 2022 data to analyse the characteristics and outcomes associated with Roma people, to fill evidence gaps and create a better understanding of Scotland’s diverse population.
Type of Accommodation Household Tenure
Scotland’s Census results discussed in this section for Roma are based on ‘all people in households’. Scotland’s Census define household as: one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room or sitting room, or dining area. This includes: all sheltered accommodation units in an establishment (irrespective of whether there are other communal facilities), and all people living in caravans on any type of site that is their usual residence. This will include anyone who has no other usual residence elsewhere in the UK. A household must contain at least one person whose place of usual residence is at the address. A group of short-term residents living together is not classified as a household, and neither is a group of people at an address where only visitors are staying.
Type of Accommodation
Scotland’s Census asks respondents about the type of accommodation used or available for use by an individual household.
The majority of Roma people reported living in flats, maisonettes or apartments (purpose-built block of flats or tenement, part of a converted or shared house including bed-sits, or in a commercial building) (73.8%). An additional 26.0% of Roma people live in a whole house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached, or terraced including end-terrace).
Only 5 Roma people reported living in a caravan or other mobile temporary structure (0.3%). Due to this small sample size, caution is advised for interpreting smaller results, because it would only take a small amount of variation in the data to see a large apparent effect on the analysis of the data.
Household Tenure
Close to half of Roma people (46.5%) lived in private rented accommodation (private landlord or letting agency, or other). This was followed by 28.0% living in socially rented accommodation from Councils or Housing Associations/Registered Social Landlords. Another 22.7% of Roma people owned their accommodation (either with a mortgage or loan, owned outright, shared ownership part-owned or part-rented, or shared equity e.g. LIFT or Help-to-Buy). An additional 2.8% respondents said they live rent free.