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Our Purpose

Our Purpose

To focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

The Government Economic Strategy sets out a clear and achievable way forward that will deliver the Purpose and secure Scottish success over the long term. Higher sustainable economic growth is the key which can unlock Scotland's full potential and create benefits for all our people.

A challenging set of high level Purpose targets, that include specific benchmarks, will track progress in boosting Scotland's economic performance and ensure that the benefits of higher growth are sustainable and shared by all of Scotland.

Purpose Targets

Economic Growth (GDP)

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To raise the GDP growth rate to the UK level by 2011

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To match the GDP growth rate of the small independent EU countries by 2017 (T)

Productivity

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To rank in the top quartile for productivity against our key trading partners in the OECD by 2017 (T)

Participation

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To maintain our position on labour market participation as the top performing country in the UK

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To close the gap with the top five OECD economies by 2017 (T)

Population

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To match average European (EU15) population growth over the period from 2007 to 2017 (T)

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Supported by increased healthy life expectancy in Scotland over the period from 2007 to 2017 (T)

Solidarity

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To increase overall income and the proportion of income earned by the three lowest income deciles as a group by 2017 (T)

Cohesion

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To narrow the gap in participation between Scotland’s best and worst performing regions by 2017 (T)

Sustainability

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To reduce emissions over the period to 2011 (T)

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To reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050 (T)

Our Purpose

Key

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Performance Improving

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Performance Maintaining

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Performance Worsening

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Performance data currently being collected

(T) In addition to showing the latest direction of travel, as data for 2007 and beyond become available we will show whether or not we are on track to achieve the target.

Page updated: Thursday, November 20, 2008