Thursday 29 August 2024

Cost of living concern falls, while immigration worries rise

Our independent quarterly tracker has revealed that one in three (36%) people living in Scotland consider the cost of living as one of their top concerns, down 12 percentage points year on this time last year.

According to the Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker from the David Hume Institute and polling experts the Diffley Partnership, while concern about the cost of living has fallen, healthcare remains the key concern for the public, selected by over half (51%) of respondents as a key worry.

The data was collected at the start of August, a month after the General Election, against a backdrop of economic insecurity, mounting concern about public expenditure and a wave of anti-migrant riots.

The proportion of people in Scotland stating immigration as a major concern is at its highest level since the tracker launched in 2021, up three percentage points to 13%. Immigration is now ranked 8th in the ranking of public concerns, behind poverty and inequality (18%), the economy (17%), housing (16%), trust in politics (16%) and education (14%) and of course, cost of living and Health.

The Understanding Scotland tracker found that:

• Over half (54%) of people in Scotland believe that general economic conditions are worse now than a year ago, representing a considerable fall from the two in three (66%) that agreed with this statement in May.

• One in three (35%) of those that express an opinion believe that general economic conditions are about the same as they were in August of last year, an increase of 11 percentage points. In contrast, only one in ten (11%) believe that conditions have improved in the last year, up a mere two percentage points.

• In the latest data,15% of households with children say they feel better off than a year ago, compared to 10% reporting the same in August 2023 and 9% in August 2022.

  
  

  Scott Edgar, Senior Research Manager at Diffley Partnership, said:

“While it is encouraging to see that people are feeling more optimistic about the cost of living crisis, which has dominated public discourse for a very long time, it may be too soon to say that people’s everyday experiences and finances are improving.

“What the latest tracker tells us is that the public is concerned with a broad range of issues, and that discontent on key issues such as poverty, the economy, housing, and education is likely here to stay.

“It’s fair to say that Scotland has a long way to go before the green shoots of optimism truly take hold.”

Susan Murray, Director of the David Hume Institute said:

“While showcasing a glimmer of hope, these findings underscore ongoing economic challenges for many people in Scotland. With the announcement of rising energy bills in October and the Prime Minister saying there are more tough choices ahead, many are not looking forward with optimism.”

Notes to editor:

• The Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker survey received 2,227 responses from a representative sample of the adult population, aged 16+, across Scotland. Invitations were issued online using the ScotPulse panel, and fieldwork was conducted between the 1st-5th August. Results are weighted to the Scottish population (2021 estimates) by age and gender.