scotPHO introduction:
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  Deprivation
Key points
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Deprivation: key points

The following points are summarised from the results of the most recent (2006) version of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

(Background note: The SIMD is the Scottish Executive's official tool for identifying small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across all of Scotland. The SIMD provides a relative ranking of 6,505 small areas (data zones) across Scotland from the most deprived (ranked one) to the least deprived in Scotland (ranked 6,505).)

  • 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.
  • Concentrations of multiple deprivation are predominantly found in Glasgow City, which contains over half of Scotland's 5% most deprived areas and a third of Scotland's 15% most deprived areas.
  • The most deprived data zone in the SIMD 2006 is in the Ferguslie area of Paisley, Renfrewshire. The least deprived data zone is in the Comely Bank area of the City of Edinburgh. Of the five most deprived data zones in the SIMD 2006, two are in Glasgow City, two are in Renfrewshire and one is in the City of Edinburgh.
  • Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, and South Lanarkshire have seen relatively large decreases in their share of data zones in the 15% most deprived areas in Scotland between the SIMD 2004 and SIMD 2006.
  • Fife, Aberdeen City, Highland and Inverclyde have seen relatively large increases in their share of data zones in the 15% most deprived areas in Scotland between the SIMD 2004 and SIMD 2006.