This is the latest edition of our annual Life in the UK – Scotland index, now with four years’ worth of data trends, enabling us to take a slightly longer-term view of how people across Scotland are living.
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- Carnegie UK
- 2 November 2026
- ISBN: 978-1-917536-18-9
- 25 minute read
Our collective wellbeing in Scotland 2026
Collective wellbeing is about everyone having what they need to live well now and into the future. It goes beyond individual happiness or health. Instead, it looks at the holistic, bigger picture: how our society, economy, environment and democracy work together to support people and communities.
The overall score for collective wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 is 63 out of a possible 100. We saw this improve last year from the 2023 score and this increase has been sustained in 2026.
Social wellbeing has remained broadly unchanged since the first edition of Life in the UK in 2023, as has democratic wellbeing. Economic wellbeing has remained the same as it was in 2025 and is higher than it was in 2023.
Environmental wellbeing has also improved since 2023, with fewer people experiencing problems with air quality, and less dissatisfaction with efforts made to preserve the environment in the UK.
Collective wellbeing and each of its domains are shaped by a wide range of factors, many of which take time to influence outcomes. The sustained improvement in collective wellbeing is therefore a welcome finding from this year’s survey, as is the gradual progress in environmental wellbeing.
Understanding what influences collective wellbeing
Positive gains have been seen, and maintained, in Scotland since the first Life in the UK index in 2023. These trends show us that change is possible, and that small improvements across a variety of different areas have the potential to shape overall collective wellbeing.
The index also tells us that people experience very different levels of wellbeing depending on their circumstances, and that life in Scotland is still shaped by inequalities between and within communities.
In 2026 the following factors stand out as particularly significant in predicting a lower or higher collective wellbeing score in Scotland:
- Having a higher household income. Those with annual household incomes of £100,000 and above (69) and those with an annual household income of between £52,000 and £99,999 (68) have the highest collective wellbeing scores. Those with annual household incomes of between £26,000 and £51,999 have a collective wellbeing score of 64. Meanwhile, those with an annual household income of below £26,000 have a collective wellbeing score of 55, 14 points lower than for those with the highest household incomes.1
- Living in social housing. People who live in social housing have a collective wellbeing score of 49, 17 points lower than for those who are homeowners (66).
- Being disabled. Disabled people have a collective wellbeing score of 56, 10 points lower than for people who are not disabled (66).
This year, three demographic characteristics were identified as being independently associated with collective wellbeing, compared with six in 2025. This change should be interpreted with caution, as additional demographic characteristics were included in the regression analysis for 2026, meaning results are not directly comparable with previous years.
Collective wellbeing map
Social wellbeing is about everyone being able to achieve their potential and contribute to society because they have their basic needs met. Our basic needs include feeling healthy, having access to services, feeling safe in and connected with our communities, and being free from discrimination.
To determine trends in social wellbeing across Scotland, we asked questions about access to services, community relationships, safety and community cohesion, and self-reported health and mental health.
The groups most likely to experience high levels of social wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- Those with an annual household income of £100,000 and above or from £52,000 to £99,999, who have social wellbeing scores of 79 and 80, respectively. People whose annual household income is between £26,000 and £51,999 have a social wellbeing score of 75, while those with annual household incomes of below £26,000 have a social wellbeing score of 65.
The groups most likely to experience low levels of social wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- People who live in social housing, who have a social wellbeing score of 58, 19 points lower than for homeowners (77).
- Disabled people, who have a social wellbeing score of 64, 13 points lower than for people who are not disabled (77).
Social wellbeing: breakdown of results
People in Scotland report poorer mental health than the UK overall, but higher levels of community connection and cohesion.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around social wellbeing.
Perceptions of general and mental health
- Two-thirds (67%) of people report being in good general health, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- More than one in nine (12%) people experience poor mental health, two percentage points higher than the UK average.
Community cohesion
- Just over three-quarters (77%) of people feel safe walking alone in their local neighbourhood after dark, six percentage points higher than the UK average.
- 71% of people say that they could rely on someone in their neighbourhood to help them if they were alone and needed help, five percentage points higher than the UK average.
- Just under four in ten (38%) people experienced discrimination in the last 12 months, six percentage points lower than the UK average.
Access to services
- One in five (21%) people find it difficult to access public transport that can get them where they want to go, three percentage points higher than the UK average.
- 86% of people find it easy to access a supermarket or grocery shop in person, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- Two in five (39%) people find it easy to get a GP appointment at a time when they need one, six percentage points higher than last year.
Social wellbeing summary
Scotland’s social wellbeing score of 74 in 2026 is in line with the scores for previous years, suggesting broad stability in people’s overall social wellbeing. Below this there is however a mixed picture.
2026 has seen a positive improvement in how easy people in Scotland find it to access a GP appointment at a time when they need one, a similar trend to what we see across the UK as a whole. People in Scotland feel safer, more able to rely on their neighbours, and experience less discrimination than the UK average.
However, people in Scotland are more likely than the UK average to say that they experience bad mental health. They are also more likely to face difficulty accessing public transport that takes them where they need to go.
Economic wellbeing in Scotland 2026
Scotland scores 71 out of a possible 100 for economic wellbeing.
Economic wellbeing means that everyone has a decent minimum living standard and can absorb financial shocks. This includes access to a decent income, affordability, financial resilience, job opportunities and skills.
To determine trends in economic wellbeing across Scotland, we asked questions about skills and job availability, and the affordability of essential items like food and fuel.
The people most likely to experience high levels of economic wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- Those with an annual household income of £100,000 and over, who have an economic wellbeing score of 85. People with an annual household income of between £52,000 and £99,999 have an economic wellbeing score of 80, and those whose annual household income is between £26,000 and £51,999 have an economic wellbeing score of 71. Those with annual household incomes of below £26,000 have an economic wellbeing score of 57, 28 points lower than for the highest-income bracket.
- People aged 55 and over, who have an economic wellbeing score of 75, eight points higher than for those aged 35 to 54 (67).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of economic wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- People who live in social housing, who have an economic wellbeing score of 49, 28 points lower than for homeowners (77).
- Disabled people, who have an economic wellbeing score of 61. This is 14 points lower than for those who are not disabled (75).
- People with one or more child under the age of 16 in the household, who have an economic wellbeing score of 69, three points lower than for people with no children in the household (72).
Economic wellbeing: breakdown of results
People in Scotland are more able to afford some of life’s necessities than in 2023, but dissatisfaction with local job opportunities has risen sharply.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around these aspects of economic wellbeing.
Perceptions of education, skills and local job opportunities
- Just under one in ten (8%) people are dissatisfied with their education and skills, similar to 2023 and 2024 but three percentage points higher than in 2025.
- Nearly two in five (39%) people are dissatisfied with the availability of job opportunitiesfor people in their local area, seven percentage points higher than last year.
Affordability of essential items
- Nine in ten (91%) people can afford to buy enough food for everyone in the household, four percentage points higher than the UK average.
- Just over four in five (82%) people can afford to keep their home adequately warm, 10 percentage points higher than in 2023 and three percentage points higher than the UK average.
- Just under two-thirds (64%) of people can afford to pay an unexpected but necessary expense of £850, six percentage points higher than in 2023.
Affordability of leisure activities
- Four in five (81%) people can afford to socialise outside the home once a month, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- Seven in ten (70%) people can afford to pay for a week’s annual holiday away from home, four percentage points higher than the UK average.
Economic wellbeing summary
Scotland’s overall economic wellbeing has remained steady in 2026, avoiding some of the deteriorations seen at a UK level and in other parts of the UK.
Compared to 2023, people in Scotland are now more likely to be able to afford to pay for an unexpected but necessary expense of £850, and to keep their homes adequately warm including in the winter.
People in Scotland are also more likely than the UK average to be able to afford both basic needs like food for everyone in the household, and extras that make life enjoyable, like an annual holiday away from home.
After an improvement in 2025, dissatisfaction with skills and education has risen again, though this is broadly similar to 2023 and 2024. However, there has been a sudden drop in the proportion of people who are satisfied with the availability of jobs in their local area.
Environmental wellbeing in Scotland 2026
Scotland scores 67 out of a possible 100 for environmental wellbeing.
Environmental wellbeing means that everyone has access to green and blue spaces and collectively we live within theplanet’s natural resources, protecting the environment for future generations.
To determine trends in environmental wellbeing across Scotland, we asked questions about access to and the quality of local parks, rivers and other green and blue spaces, and about noise pollution, air pollution, and litter in local areas. We also asked about levels of satisfaction with efforts to preserve the environment in the UK.
The people most likely to experience high levels of environmental wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- People living in a rural area, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 75, 11 points higher than for those who live in urban areas (64).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of environmental wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- People who live in Central Scotland, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 62. This is eight to nine points lower than for those living in Mid Scotland and Fife (70), North East Scotland (71), or the South of Scotland (71).
- People with an annual household income of below £26,000, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 62. This is eight points lower than for those with an annual household income of between £26,000 and £99,999 (70).
Environmental wellbeing: breakdown of results
While problems remain in Scotland, people’s experiences of noise and air quality have improved, and dissatisfaction with environmental efforts in the UK is reducing.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around environmental wellbeing.
Issues with quality of local environment
- Half (51%) of people experience problems with noise in their local neighbourhood, a six percentage-point improvement compared to 2025 and 13 percentage points lower than the UK average.
- Just over a third (36%) of people experience problems with air quality in their local neighbourhood, five percentage points lower than last year, and 17 percentage points lower than the UK average.
- Four in five (80%) people experience problems with litter in their local neighbourhood, similar to previous years and the UK average.
Perception of local public, green or open space and efforts to preserve the environment in the UK
- Seven in ten (71%) people are satisfied with the quality of their local public, green or open space, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- A quarter of people (25%) are satisfied with efforts to preserve theenvironment in the UK, three percentage points higher than in 2024.
Environmental wellbeing summary
Scotland’s overall environmental wellbeing has seen an improvement since the first edition of Life in the UK in 2023 and remains higher than the UK average.
This improvement has been seen especially in areas such as noise pollution and air quality, both of which have improved since last year, and fewer people are dissatisfied with efforts to preserve the environment in the UK than in 2023. These gradual improvements – which have not been mirrored in other parts of the UK – are welcome.
Nonetheless, four in five people still experience issues with litter, half have issues with noise pollution, and only a quarter of people in Scotland are satisfied with the efforts being made to protect the environment in the UK.
Democratic wellbeing in Scotland 2026
Scotland scores 40 out of a possible 100 for democratic wellbeing.
Democratic wellbeing is about everyone having a voice in decisions that affect them. This means having local and national leaders who support participation, foster trust, and encourage diversity.
To understand democratic wellbeing in the UK in 2026, we asked questions about levels of trust in local, regional and national government(s) as well as other national institutions, and perceptions of personal ability to influence decisions.
While markedly low across the board, and the lowest of any of our four wellbeing domains, the people with the highest levels of democratic wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- People from an ethnic minority background, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 46, seven points higher than for those of a White British background (39).2
- People who are religious, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 43, five points higher than for those who have no religion (38).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of democratic wellbeing in Scotland in 2026 are:
- Disabled people, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 34, eight points lower than for people who are not disabled (42).
Democratic wellbeing: breakdown of results
Overall trust in government and institutions remains low, though trust in the Scottish Government has improved since last year and people are less likely to feel unable to influence decisions that affect the UK than they were three years ago.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around democratic wellbeing.
Perceptions of ability to influence decisions
- Only 7% of people feel that they can influence decisions affecting the UK, though fewer people disagree (73%) than in 2023.
- Just under three-fifths (58%) of people do not feel able to influence decisions that affect Scotland, similar to previous years.
- One in five (19%) people feel that they can influence decisions affecting their local area, four percentage points higher than the UK average.
Trust in government and politicians
- Half (52%) of people have low trust in the UK Government, unchanged since 2025 but an improvement compared to 2023 and 2024. A similar picture is seen for low trust in MPs, which now stands at 46%.
- Fewer than one in ten (8%) people have high trust in their local council, two percentage points lower than the UK average.
Trust in Scottish Government and politicians
- Nearly one in five (17%) people have high trust in the Scottish Government, six percentage points higher than last year.
- Just over one in ten (12%) people have high trust in MSPs, four percentage points higher than in 2023.
Trust in institutions
- Over a quarter (28%) of people have high trust in the police, four percentage points higher than the UK average.
- One in five (21%) people have low trust in the legal system and courts, with the same proportion having high trust, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- 29% of people have high trust in banks, ten percentage points higher than in 2024.
Trust in media and tech
- Two in five (41%) people have low trust in the news media, similar to previous years and the UK average.
- Three in five (62%) people have low trust in social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok), similar to previous years and the UK average.
- Nearly half (48%) of people have low trust in big tech companies (e.g. Google, Apple), nine percentage points higher than in 2023.
Democratic wellbeing summary
Democratic wellbeing in Scotland remains low, a pattern that we see across the UK. This points to a continued lack of trust in key institutions, and a sense of being unable to influence the decisions that affect us.
However, there have been some improvements: more people say they have high trust in the Scottish Government than in any of the previous three years of the index, and more people have high trust in MSPs than in 2023. Trust in the UK Government and MPs has largely retained the gains seen in 2025.
For people in Scotland, trust in Scottish political institutions also remains higher than trust in UK institutions: over half (52%) of people have low trust in the UK Government, compared to just over a third (34%) who have low trust in the Scottish Government.
The improvements to trust in national government have not been reflected in trust in local councils, with trust in local councils similar to previous years. Although compared to the UK average fewer people in Scotland have high trust in their local council, they are more likely to feel that they can influence decisions affecting their local area.
Beyond political institutions, trust remains low in other key institutions. Trust in big tech companies (like Google or Apple) is worse than it was in 2023, and trust in social media is following a similar trend. Few people (6%) have high trust in the news media.
Get in touch
Want to chat about Life in the UK 2026 Scotland? Get in touch with Susan.
- The base size for people with an annual household income of £100,000 and above was smaller than for other groups at 92 people, so findings should be treated with caution. ↩︎
- The base size for people from an ethnic minority (including white minority) background was smaller than for other groups at 91 people, so findings should be treated with caution. ↩︎
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Social wellbeing in Scotland 2026
Scotland scores 74 out of a possible 100 for social wellbeing.