Scottish Household Survey 2025 Childcare

Types of childcare

The most common type of childcare used in 2025 by households with at least one child aged between 0 and 11 years old who reported they used some form of childcare was a relative or friend (42%). This has been the most common type used every year since 2022 (the first year of data we have available). The next most common type used was a local authority nursery, used by 25% of households. (Table 34)

The types of childcare used varied depending on whether the children in the household were at school. For households where all children were attending school, the most common form of childcare was a relative or friend, used by two-thirds (66%) of households. The next most common types used were after-school clubs (36%) and breakfast clubs (24%). (Table 35)

For households where at least one child was at school, 55% reported they used a relative or friend for childcare, 28% used an after-school club, 20% used a breakfast club and 19% used a local authority nursery.

For households with all children not at school, the most common type of childcare used was a local authority nursery, used by 34% of households. The second most common type of childcare used was a private nursery (29%), followed by a family centre (24%) and a relative or friend (21%). (Table 35)

Households with at least one child aged 0 to 11 in rural Scotland were less likely to use breakfast clubs than households in the rest of Scotland (4% compared with 14%) (Table 38). However, use of after school clubs was similar in both areas (17% in rural Scotland and 16% in the rest of Scotland) (Table 41).

Use of after school clubs by all households with at least one child aged 0 to 11 varied by area deprivation, generally increasing as area deprivation decreased, from 10% in the 20% most deprived areas to 24% in the 20% least deprived areas (Table 40). However, use of breakfast clubs was broadly similar across all SIMD quintiles, between 10% and 14% (Table 37).

Use of after school clubs was highest in households with at least one child aged 0 to 11 with a net annual income greater than £45,000 (20%) (Table 39), and use of breakfast clubs was highest in households with a net annual income of £15,000 to £30,000 (14%) (Table 36). However, although use of both varied by income, neither showed a clear pattern.