Social Tenants In Scotland, 2016 - Characteristics of Social Tenants

13th February 2018

Characteristics of Social Tenants-2

30% of social rented households in 2016 were single working age adults, an increase from 18% in 1999. 19% of households were single pensioners, a decrease from 25% in 1999.

The average age of the highest income householder in social rented housing in 2016 was 52 years, similar to the average of 53 years in 1999.

Social rented households in Scotland in 2016 had a higher proportion of female highest income householders (53%) than private rented households (45%), households with the property bought with a mortgage (35%) and households where the property was owned outright (40%).

38% of adults in social rented households in 2016 were employed (24% employed full time, 11% employed part time, and 3% self-employed). 23% of adults were retired from work, 13% were permanently sick or disabled, 9% were looking after the home or family, and 9% were unemployed and seeking work.

In the period 2013 to 2016, 86% of adults in social rented households stated they were ‘White Scottish', a higher percentage than private rented households (57%).

3% of adults in social rented households identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other in 2015, a similar percentage to the private rented sector (3%), but higher than in households that were owned outright (1%) or owned with a mortgage (1%), however these differences are only marginally statistically significant.

In the period from 2013 to 2016, 52% of adults in social rented housing said they had no religion, an increase on the 45% between 2009 and 2012. The percentage of adults with a Church of Scotland religion decreased over this time period from 29% to 22%, whilst the proportion with a Roman Catholic religion stayed similar from 18% to 17%.

The full statistical publication is available online -

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/02/9862