Scotland’s Chief Statistician has published Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2009/10.

• There was little change in overall levels of poverty and income inequality in Scotland between 2008/09 and 2009/10. The percentage of people in relative poverty (before housing costs) remained at 17 percent of the population.
• The proportion of working age adults in relative poverty (before housing costs), after rounding, remained at 16 percent. The proportion of pensioners in relative poverty (before housing costs) increased by 1 percentage point to 17 percent. This follows a drop in this figure of 5 percentage points between 2007/08 and 2008/09.
• New figures measuring persistent poverty are included for the first time. Between the periods of 1999-2002 and 2005-2008, the persistent poverty rate (BHC) in Scotland fell by 4 percentage points to 9 percent.