Scottish Household Survey Annual Report

13 4 Neighbourhoods and Communities The majority of adults in Scotland (57 per cent) rated their neighbourhood as a very good place to live. This has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years. Over nine in 10 adults rated their neighbourhood as a very or fairly good place to live in 2019. Neighbourhood ratings varied by area deprivation. Adults in the 20% least deprived areas were more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a very good place to live than those in the 20% most deprived areas (77% in the least deprived areas, and 32% in the most deprived areas). This gap has remained stable over the last decade. Those in accessible or remote rural areas (70 and 80 per cent, respectively) were more likely to describe thei r neighbourhood as a very good place to live than those in large and ‘other’ urban areas (50 and 55 per cent, respectively). People were more positive about the people-based features of their neighbourhood (such as kindness and trust) and less positive about the physical aspects of their neighbourhoods (such as the availability of places to socialise and meet new people). Over three-quarters (78 per cent) of adults felt a very or fairly strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood in 2019. This varied according to age, ethnic group and deprivation; sense of belonging was lower for younger people, ethnic minorities and people living in deprived areas. Eighty-five percent agreed that they could rely on friends/relatives in their neighbourhood for support. The majority of adults in Scotland agreed that they would assist neighbours in an emergency (90 per cent), and could rely on those around them for advice and support (78 per cent). In 2018, around three quarters of adults in Scotland (73 per cent) met socially with friends, relatives, neighbours or work colleagues at least once a week. Around one-in-five adults living in Scotland experienced feelings of loneliness in the last week, and this didn’t vary by age. Although level of deprivation did not impact social isolation, as measured by the number of people meeting socially at least once a week, those living in the most deprived areas were almost twice as likely to experience feelings of loneliness as those living in the least deprived areas. Disabled people were more than twice as likely to experience loneliness as non-disabled people.