High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Monday, May 18, 2009
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) identifies small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across all of Scotland in a fair way. It allows effective targeting of policies and funding where the aim is to wholly or partly tackle or take account of area concentrations of multiple deprivation.
SIMD 2006 contains 37 different indicators covering seven topics which cover specific aspects of deprivation. These topics are: Current Income, Employment, Health, Education, Housing, Access to Services and Crime. These are combined to create the overall SIMD 2006.
The SIMD 2006 is designed to measure small area concentrations of multiple deprivation and not individual deprivation. The indicators used in the SIMD are designed to be measures of deprivation wherever small area concentrations of deprivation exist in Scotland. In rural areas, the spatially dispersed nature of communities mean that deprivation may not be identified using SIMD. This does not mean there is no deprivation in these areas, but rather that it is not concentrated in small areas.
Key Results
The 15% most deprived data zones in SIMD 2006 contain 36 per cent (257,041) of Scotland's income deprived population and 33 per cent (134,347) of Scotland's employment deprived working age population.
Local authority areas with the largest shares of the SIMD 2006 15% most deprived in Scotland are:
- Glasgow City (34 per cent);
- North Lanarkshire (9 per cent);
- City of Edinburgh (7 per cent);
- South Lanarkshire (6 per cent);
View chart data
Eilean Siar, Moray, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands do not have any data zones in the SIMD 2006 15% most deprived. This does not mean there is no deprivation in these areas rather that it is not concentrated in small areas.
Further Information
- Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation - the website of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation providing information on the background, methodology and development of the SIMD.
- Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics - source of small area data to carry out more detailed analysis of the SIMD through comparison of the results with a range of socio-economic indicators.
- Social Focus on Deprived Areas, 2005 - a compendium of statistics providing detailed information on the depth and concentration of poverty and disadvantage in deprived areas as defined by the SIMD 2004.