The Scottish Health Survey 2024 - volume 1: main report

Foreword from Chief Medical Officer

The 2024 Scottish Health Survey results presented in this report provide an important picture of health and wellbeing in Scotland, now providing trends over more than twenty years.

The report provides information on the prevalence of physical and mental health conditions and on health-related risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, food insecurity, physical activity and obesity.

I’m delighted that new questions on menopause and perimenopause were included in the 2024 survey, providing the first national level data on the experience and management of symptoms.  These results will be crucial for reporting on the Women’s Health Plan. Other questions included for the first time evidence eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder, types of impairments from long-term conditions, prevalence of sleep apnoea and the use of insulin for the management of diabetes.

The report highlights some key challenges, with half of the adult population now reporting having at least one long-term condition, the highest level recorded. Whilst smoking prevalence and alcohol consumption remain steady following improvements in recent years, we see a decrease in fruit and vegetable intake. After recent increases, the latest figures show reductions in the prevalence of food insecurity and loneliness. 

I very much welcome this report which provides invaluable information to inform the development, evaluation and monitoring of policy on population health in Scotland and would like to express my gratitude to the Scottish Centre for Social Research for conducting the survey.  Most importantly, my thanks go to the 6,577 people who gave their time to take part in this important study.

Professor Sir Gregor Smith

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland