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Scotland's people:Annual Report: Results from the 2003/2004 Scottish Household Survey

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6. How we live

Introduction

This chapter focuses on household resources. It looks at ownership of material possessions including cars and personal computers, and financial resources of different types. The section also examines health and ill-health, registration with, and use of, GP services and the provision and receipt of childcare and care for the adult population.

Please refer to Chapter 2 for more information about interpreting the information in the tables in this section.

Household resources

Around two-thirds of households (66%) have access to at least one car for private use. Over three-quarters of households (77%) where the Highest Income Householder ( HIH) is male have access to a car, compared with 50% of households with a female HIH ( Table 6.1). Almost all (98%) households with a net annual income over £40,000 a year have access to a car for private use, compared with only 35% of households with a net annual income of £6,000 or less ( Table 6.3).

The proportion of households with access to two or more cars has increased since 1999 ( Table 6.6). In 1999, 17.8% of households had access to two or more vehicles, while in 2004, 22.9% of households had access to two or more cars. Households in rural areas are more likely than those in urban areas to have access to two or more cars. ( Table 6.4)

Table 6.11 shows drivers' means of making various types of journey. Drivers are most likely to use a car for supermarket shopping (87% always use a car for this) and visiting friends and relatives (72% always use a car for this). The majority of drivers say they always use a car to see a G.P. (64%) and for town centre shopping (59%).

Around two-fifths (43%) of households have home internet access ( Table 6.20). Of households with a net annual income of over £40,000, 89% have home internet access. This compares with 17% of households with a net annual income of £6,000 or less ( Table 6.22).

Among the adults in Scotland who use the internet, the most common purposes are for using e-mail (86%), general browsing or surfing (72%) and finding information about goods/services (68%) ( Table 6.31).

Financial resources

Almost half of households (48%) have a net annual household income of £15,000 or less. Only 6% of households have a net annual income of more than £40,000 ( Table 6.35) 11.

Just over half of all households (53%) have savings or investments. Only 22% of single parent households have savings or investments ( Table 6.39). The proportion of households with a bank or building society account has increased since 1999 - 85.8% had an account in 1999 compared with 89.9% in 2004 ( Table 6.48).

Health and caring

Over a quarter (27%) of adults smoke cigarettes. Men (28%) are more like to smoke than women (25%) ( Table 6.55). Males aged 25 to 34 are most likely to smoke, with 35% doing so ( Figure 6-1). Those in East Dunbartonshire are least likely to smoke (18%) and those in East Ayrshire (35%) are most likely to smoke ( Table 6.57).

Around a third of all households (34%) contain at least one person with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability ( Table 6.1). Households with low net annual incomes are most likely to contain someone with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability: 43% of households with a net annual income of £6,000 or less, and 51% of households with a net annual income of £6,001 to £10,000. In comparison, 12% of households with a net annual income of over £40,000 contain someone with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability ( Table 6.59). Older smaller households and single pensioner households are most likely to contain someone with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability (55% and 52% respectively) ( Table 6.60).

Less than half (45%) of children aged 1 to 15 have some form of childcare ( Table 6.53). Childcare is provided by a relative or partner for over a quarter (28%) of all children aged 1 to 15. Around two-thirds of households that use childcare do so in order to enable parents/guardians to go to work ( Table 6.54).

Just over one in nine (12%) of all households contain someone who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly. Households with at least one person who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly are more prevalent in social rented housing than in other tenure types ( Table 6.70). Overall, 45% of households with at least one person requiring reular help or care have a carer from outwith the household, while 30% have 1 carer within the household ( Table 6.74).

Around a third (34%) of adults with a long standing illness, health problem or disability have adaptations made to their home or specialist equipment ( Table 6.66). The most common forms of adaptations and equipment are handrails (52%), walking sticks/crutches (46%) and bath/shower seats (41%). The most commonly needed adaptations and equipment are handrails (23%) and bath/shower seats (19%) ( Table 6.67).

Table 6.1: Whether any cars normally available for private use by sex of Highest Income Householder
Column percentages, 2003/2004 data
Households

Male

Female

All

Yes

77

50

66

No

23

50

34

Total

100

100

100

Base

18,586

12,236

30,822

Table 6.2: Cars household normally has available by household type
Column percentages, 2003/2004 data
Households

Single adult

Small adult

Single parent

Small family

Large family

Large adult

Older smaller

Single pensioner

All

None

50

17

56

11

13

13

26

72

34

One

47

48

42

48

41

31

60

28

44

Two

2

33

2

39

38

37

13

1

19

Three or more

0

2

0

2

8

19

1

0

3

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

4,976

5,153

1,777

4,248

2,036

2,938

4,655

5,039

30,822

Table 6.3: Whether any cars normally available for private use by net annual household income
Column percentages, 2003/2004 data
Households

£0 - £6,000

£6,000 - £10,000

£10,001 - £15,000

£15,001 -£20,000

£20,001 - £25,000

£25,001 - £30,000

£30,001 - £40,000

Over £40,000

All (income known)

Yes

35

36

55

77

90

95

97

98

67

No

65

64

45

23

10

5

3

2

33

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

2,566

5,697

6,126

4,338

3,429

2,772

3,063

1,741

29,732

Table 6.4: Cars normally available for private use by urban/rural classification
Column percentages, 2003/2004
Households

Large urban areas

Other urban areas

Accessible small towns

Remote small towns

Accessible rural

Remote rural

Scotland

None

43

33

26

35

17

17

34

One

41

46

47

48

44

49

44

Two

14

19

23

15

33

28

19

Three or more

2

3

4

1

6

6

3

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

11,265

8,622

3,196

1,379

3,744

2,613

30,819

Table 6.5: Cars household normally has available by local authority
Row percentages, 2003/2004 data Households

None

One

Two

Three or more

Total

Base

Aberdeen City

31

47

19

2

100

1,232

Aberdeenshire

16

48

30

7

100

1,237

Angus

28

46

23

3

100

628

Argyll and Bute

31

43

23

3

100

551

Clackmannanshire

29

43

23

5

100

579

Dumfries and Galloway

26

50

22

3

100

815

Dundee City

49

40

9

2

100

866

East Ayrshire

34

44

19

3

100

696

East Dunbartonshire

19

45

29

7

100

553

East Lothian

22

49

24

5

100

549

East Renfrewshire

21

42

33

4

100

580

Edinburgh City

40

44

15

2

100

2,509

Eilean Siar

29

52

16

4

100

549

Falkirk

30

45

21

4

100

824

Fife

28

46

22

4

100

2,083

Glasgow City

55

35

9

1

100

3,294

Highland

20

50

25

5

100

1,167

Inverclyde

43

39

16

3

100

554

Midlothian

29

45

22

3

100

561

Moray

19

52

25

4

100

613

North Ayrshire

37

44

17

1

100

752

North Lanarkshire

37

43

18

2

100

1,758

Orkney

24

49

23

4

100

665

Perth and Kinross

22

47

27

5

100

674

Renfrewshire

38

41

18

3

100

1,000

Scottish Borders

23

50

21

5

100

663

Shetland

26

43

26

5

100

653

South Ayrshire

29

45

23

3

100

624

South Lanarkshire

32

43

20

4

100

1,587

Stirling

22

44

29

4

100

612

West Dunbartonshire

38

41

18

2

100

509

West Lothian

26

47

22

5

100

885

Scotland

34

44

19

3

100

30,822

Table 6.6: Number of cars household normally has available by year
Column percentages, 1999-2004 data
Households

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

None

37.1

35.9

35.6

35.0

33.0

34.0

One

45.0

45.4

45.5

44.4

44.6

43.1

Two

15.4

16.4

16.4

18.0

19.5

19.5

Three or more

2.4

2.3

2.6

2.5

3.0

3.4

Total

100

100

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Base

14,680

15,547

15,566

15,073

14,880

15,942

Table 6.7: Total expenditure on fuel for cars per month by number of cars normally available for private use
Column percentages, Q2,3,4 2003/All 2004 data
Households with access to at least one car

One

Two

Three or more

All

£0 - £25

17

4

3

13

£25 - £50

40

20

10

33

£50 - £75

14

14

8

14

£75 - £100

18

25

20

20

£100+

10

38

59

21

Total

100

100

100

100

Base

11,082

5,063

819

16,964

Table 6.8: Total expenditure on fuel for cars per month by urban/rural classification
Column percentages, Q2,3,4 2003/All 2004 data
Households with access to at least one car

Large urban areas

Other urban areas

Accessible small towns

Remote small towns

Accessible rural

Remote rural

Scotland

£0 - £25

15

12

11

20

9

11

13

£25 - £50

37

33

31

36

26

27

33

£50 - £75

14

14

13

15

12

14

14

£75 - £100

17

21

23

17

22

22

20

£100+

16

20

22

12

30

25

21

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

5,160

4,780

1,980

754

2,575

1,715

16,964

Table 6.9: Type of driving licence (if any) held by sex
Column percentages, 2003/2004 data
Adult population aged 17 and over

Male

Female

All

Full driving licence

76

57

65

Provisional licence

3

5

4

Disqualified from driving

1

0

0

Suspended on medical grounds

1

1

1

Never held a UK driving licence

16

36

27

Did not reapply for licence at age 70

2

2

2

Total

100

100

100

Base

12,127

16,376

28,503

Table 6.10: Type of driving licence (if any) held by age
Column percentages, 2003/2004 data
Adult population aged 17 and over

17 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 59

60 to 74

75 plus

All

Full driving licence

43

73

80

75

59

34

65

Provisional licence

22

7

3

2

1

0

4

Disqualified from driving

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Suspended on medical grounds

0

0

0

1

2

4

1

Never held a UK driving licence

35

19

16

22

36

48

27

Did not reapply for licence at age 70

-

-

-

-

2

13

2

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

2,080

4,208

5,391

6,774

6,384

3,666

28,503

Table 6.11: Drivers' means of making various types of journey
Row percentages, Q2,3,4 2003/All 2004 data
Adult population with full driving licence who sometimes drive a car

Never make that type of journey

Always use a car

Sometimes use a car

Never use a car

All

Base

Shopping for small amounts of food

5

48

28

19

100

14,507

Supermarket shopping

3

87

6

3

100

14,507

Town centre shopping

4

59

21

15

100

14,507

Leisure evenings out

4

48

33

15

100

14,507

Visiting friends and relatives

1

72

24

4

100

14,507

To see GP

2

64

15

19

100

14,507

To go to library

28

38

11

22

100

14,507

Table 6.12: Drivers who make each type of journey - percentages who always use a car by age
Cell percentages, Q2,3,4 2003/All 2004 data
Adult population with full driving licence who sometimes drive a car/van and who make each type of journey

16 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 59

60 to 74

75 plus

All

Base (for "All")

Shopping for small amounts of food

48

45

50

54

52

57

51

13,813

Supermarket shopping

79

88

91

92

91

90

90

14,112

Town centre shopping

52

56

64

65

62

62

62

13,908

Leisure evenings out

39

38

46

53

63

63

50

13,897

Visiting friends and relatives

62

65

71

75

78

76

72

14,365

To see GP

60

59

67

68

68

72

66

14,230

To go to library

43

47

53

56

56

62

53

10,551

Minimum base (varies with journey)

511

1,796

2,677

2,964

2,006

597

10,551

Table 6.13: Drivers who always make each type of journey by car - percentages who would find it "fairly or very difficult" without a car by urban/rural classification
Cell percentages, Q2,3,4 2003/All 2004 data
Adult population with full driving licence who always make each type of journey by car

Large urban areas

Other urban areas

Accessible small towns

Remote small towns

Accessible rural

Remote rural

Scotland

Base (for "Scotland")

Shopping for small amounts of food

35

31

32

43

66

75

44

7,036

Supermarket shopping

73

72

75

72

86

88

76

12,621

Town centre shopping

44

49

55

57

74

86

58

8,712

Leisure evenings out

54

60

64

65

84

87

67

7,092

Visiting friends and relatives

74

71

75

74

85

88

76

10,305

To see GP

47

45

40

47

75

80

54

9,383

To go to library

42

39

39

50

73

83

52

5,743

Minimum base (varies with journey)

1,266

1,595

495

256

1,142

989

5,743

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Page updated: Wednesday, August 3, 2005