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.
Sex & gender - SG Core
The data below cover staff working in core Scottish Government directorate generals only. Data covering staff in core Scottish Government directorate generals, some agencies and some non-ministerial departments are also available. More details can be found in the notes page of this publication.
Declaration rates for sex are 100% in our internal HR system, 86.0% in our recruitment system, and 98.7% in the People Survey. Data on the sex of employees within the SG Core is complete, as this is gathered during the recruitment process once an offer has been accepted. Data on the sex 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
Female staff make up 56.6% of the SG Core workforce, compared with 51.1% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 who are female.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce by sex 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 SG Core representation. The sex breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 is included as a comparison where available.
Figure 2a: Pay band or working pattern, by sex - December 2025
Part-time staff make up 16.6% of all permanent staff.
Recruitment
48.9% of applications come from female applicants, rising to 59.8% of applicants accepting an offer.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of applicants by sex at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included once for each application they submit. The sex breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 is included as a comparison where available.
Figure 2b: Recruitment stages reached in 2025, by sex
The stages of the recruitment process are explained in the notes page of this publication.
Turnover
Female staff account for 61.3% of joiners and 59.1% of leavers.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce, staff who joined in 2025 and staff who left in 2025 by sex. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows where the proportions of joiners or leavers are significantly higher or lower than the overall SG Core representation. The sex breakdown of Scotland’s working-age population is included as a comparison where available.
Figure 2c: Joiners and leavers in 2025, by sex
The chart above does not include any movement to, from, or between any other Scottish Government organisations.
Staff experiences
Absences
Female staff lost an average of 9.6 working days to sickness absences.
Male staff lost an average of 7.1 working days to sickness absences.
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 2d: Average working days lost in 2025, by sex
Performance
63.3% of female staff received a marking of ‘Highly Effective’ or ‘Exceptional’ in 2025.
58% of male staff received a marking of ‘Highly Effective’ or ‘Exceptional’ in 2025.
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.
Figure 2e: Performance markings in 2024-25, by sex
Substantive promotions
5.2% of female staff were promoted in 2025.
5.5% of male staff were promoted in 2025.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff promoted in 2025 by sex. 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.
Figure 2f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2025, by sex
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
4.2% of female staff were on a temporary promotion.
4.3% of male staff were on a temporary promotion.
The chart below shows the proportion of SG Core 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 SG Core.
Figure 2g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on 31 December 2025, by sex
Pay gap
The data on pay used in this publication covers the SG Main, SG Marine and SCS pay groups, which includes staff employed by core Scottish Government (SG Core). SG Core is not included separately in this publication. This data can be found on the Scottish Government overall page.
Workforce culture
The data below come from the annual Civil Service People Survey and highlight the experiences of staff working in SG Core. The scores below are the percentage of positive responses by respondents indicating they belong to a particular demographic group. Respondents who didn’t answer the question on sex have been removed from these charts and tables, although they are included in the calculation of the total figure.
Some of the percentages in the charts below are followed by arrows indicating the level of statistical significance. These boxes are also colour-coded in various shades of green and red to indicate whether the difference is desirable or not respectively.
Engagement
64.5% of female staff report feeling engaged, compared to 64.1% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff who feel engaged with their work in 2024.
Figure 2h: Employee engagement score in 2024, by sex
Inclusion & fair treatment
84.8% of female staff report feeling included and treated fairly, compared to 85.5% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff feeling included and that they are treated fairly in 2024.
Figure 2i: Inclusion & fair treatment score in 2024, by sex
Bullying & harassment
9.1% of female staff report experiencing bullying and/or harassment, compared to 6.6% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced bullying and/or harassment at work in 2024. Lower percentages are preferred.
Figure 2j: Bullying & harassment score in 2024, by sex
Discrimination
7.5% of female staff report experiencing discrimination, compared to 5.8% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced discrimination at work in 2024. Lower percentages are preferred.