Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2007

1. Key findings

Overall household change: In mid-2007, there were 2.3 million households in Scotland – over 270,000 more than in 1991. The number of households in Scotland has been increasing steadily, by between 11,000 and 23,000 each year since 1991. Over the last year, there has been an increase of 22,400 households (one per cent).
The rate of growth has increased over the last five years. Between 2006 and 2007, the number of households increased by more than in any other year over the past 25 years.
The areas with the greatest increases over the last five years have been Aberdeenshire (8.5 per cent), West Lothian (8.2 per cent) and Highland (8.1 per cent). The area with the smallest change was Inverclyde.
Since 1991, Scotland’s overall population has increased by around one per cent. However, the number of households has increased at a far greater rate (by over 13 per cent), because the average household size is getting smaller, with more people living alone and in smaller households.
Council Tax bands: The Council Tax band of a dwelling reflects the Assessor’s opinion of the open market value, based on the actual selling prices of similar properties which sold around the valuation date of 1 April 1991.
Accessible rural areas tend to have the smallest proportion of dwellings in the lower Council Tax bands (bands A-C).
In general, the proportion of dwellings which are in the lower Council Tax bands increases with the level of deprivation of the area. Almost all (95 per cent) dwellings in the most deprived areas are in the lower Council Tax bands, compared to just 13 per cent in the least deprived areas.
Dwelling type: There are higher proportions of flats in urban areas, and in more deprived areas. In contrast, there are higher proportions of detached houses in rural areas, and in less deprived areas.
The three island authorities have the highest percentages of detached dwellings (over 58 per cent of all dwellings in these areas, compared to 20 per cent for Scotland as a whole).
Vacant dwellings and second homes: Across Scotland as a whole, 2.8 per cent of dwellings are vacant and 1.4 per cent are second homes, though there is wide variation across the country.
Remote rural areas have the lowest percentage of dwellings which are occupied (88 per cent), with relatively high percentages of vacant dwellings (five per cent of all dwellings in these areas) and second homes (seven per cent).
The most deprived areas have the highest percentage of dwellings which are vacant (six per cent).
Single adult households: 38 per cent of dwellings in Scotland are entitled to a 'single adult' Council Tax discount. This category includes one adult living alone or with children, or with other people who are ‘disregarded’ for Council Tax purposes.
The proportion of dwellings entitled to a 'single adult' discount is higher in the more urban areas, comprising 29 per cent of all dwellings in remote rural areas compared to 43 per cent in large urban areas. It also increases steadily as the level of deprivation increases, from 28 per cent of all dwellings in the least deprived areas to 52 per cent in the most deprived areas.

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