Scottish Government workforce diversity and inclusion statistics 2025
Statistics on the diversity of core Scottish Government permanent staff and the experiences of different demographic groups within the workforce.
Age - Scottish Government
The data below cover staff working in core Scottish Government directorate generals, selected agencies and selected non-ministerial departments. Data covering staff in core Scottish Government directorate generals only are also available. More details can be found in the notes page of this publication.
Declaration rates for age group are 100.0% in our internal HR system, 87.0% in our recruitment system, and 99.4% in the People Survey. Data on the age group of employees within the Scottish Government is complete, as this is gathered during the recruitment process once an offer has been accepted. Data on the age group of applicants in our recruitment system and of survey respondents to the People Survey are not complete and include a ‘Prefer not to say’ response option.
Workforce composition
Headcounts
Staff aged between 16 and 29 make up 12.4% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared with 27% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 who are aged between 16 and 29.
Staff aged 60 or older make up 7.7% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared with 11% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 who are aged 60 or older.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce by age group and by UK Civil Service pay band or working pattern (i.e. full-time or part-time). Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows where data are significantly higher or lower than the overall Scottish Government representation. The age group breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 is included as a comparison where available.
A table in the supplementary dataset also shows the breakdown for each Scottish Government agency, Director General area, or other body covered by this publication.
Figure 1a: Pay band or working pattern, by age group - December 2025
Part-time staff make up 16.6% of all permanent staff.
Recruitment
43.9% of applications come from applicants aged between 16 and 29, dropping to 31% of applicants accepting an offer.
1.3% of applications come from applicants aged 60 or older, rising to 2% of applicants accepting an offer.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of applicants by age group at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included once for each application they submit. The age group breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 is included as a comparison where available.
Figure 1b: Recruitment stages reached in 2025, by age group
The stages of the recruitment process are explained in the notes page of this publication.
Turnover
The percentage of joiners in a given age group in 2025 ranges from 1.8% for the 60 and over age group to 38% for the 30 to 39 age group.
The percentage of leavers in a given age group in 2025 ranges from 13.6% for the 40 to 49 age group to 25.6% for the 30 to 39 age group.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce, staff who joined in 2025 and staff who left in 2025 by age group. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows where the proportions of joiners or leavers are significantly higher or lower than the overall Scottish Government representation. The age group breakdown of Scotland’s working-age population is included as a comparison where available.
Figure 1c: Joiners and leavers in 2025, by age group
The chart above does not include any movement to, from, or between any other Scottish Government organisations.
Staff experiences
The experiences of staff in different age groups may be influenced by differences in pay grade, which tend to vary by age.
Absences
The average number of working days lost to sickness in 2025 ranges from 8 among staff aged 16 to 29 to 12.1 among staff aged 60 and over.
AWDL is a measure of absence levels that allows for comparison between different groups. A higher AWDL indicates a higher rate of days absent relative to the number of staff in that group and their working pattern.
Figure 1d: Average working days lost in 2025, by age group
Performance
The proportion of staff within each age group receiving a marking of ‘Highly Effective’ or ‘Exceptional’ in 2025 ranges from 42.2% among staff aged 16 to 29 to 55.3% among staff aged 40 to 49.
Performance is assessed annually in April. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows where a significantly higher or lower proportion of a group received that marking than the proportion among all staff. The overall staff proportions include staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1e: Performance markings in 2024-25, by age group
Substantive promotions
The proportion of staff within each age group who were substantively promoted in 2025 ranges from 1.4% among staff aged 60 and over to 12.1% among staff aged 16 to 29.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff promoted in 2025 by age group. The percentages below are not the success rates of staff who applied for promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2025, by age group
The “not promoted” group includes the following staff:
- Staff who were unsuccessful in their application for a promotion in 2025.
- Staff who did not apply for a promotion in 2025.
- Staff who achieved a promotion in 2025 but did not start their new position until 2026.
Temporary promotions
The proportion of staff within each age group who were on a temporary promotion ranges from 1.6% among staff aged 60 and over to 5.6% among staff aged 16 to 29.
The chart below shows the proportion of Scottish Government staff on a temporary promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows where proportions of staff on a temporary promotion are significantly higher or lower than the overall proportion within the Scottish Government. The overall proportion includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 1g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on 31 December 2025, by age group
Workforce culture
Workforce culture data used in this publication come from the Civil Service People Survey and cover core Scottish Government (SG Core) staff only. These data can be found on the SG Core page.