People in Scotland want to see much stronger government action to reduce health gaps between richer and poorer communities, according to new research.
Analysis of newly released data from the Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey by the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) at the University of Strathclyde found that 94% of the Scottish population thinks it’s important for the Scottish Government to reduce the health gap between richer and poorer people.
Poverty and housing
While many people (47%) focus on smoking, alcohol and diet when asked to identify the main cause of health inequalities in Scotland, responses across the questions show that people also think poverty and housing play important roles in these health differences.
In addition, a quarter of people in Scotland felt that action on poverty is the most effective way to reduce deaths from drugs and alcohol. Only 1% of people are in favour of tougher laws or sentencing.
For suicide prevention, increasing spending on mental health services was the most popular option, with reducing poverty the second most common choice.
The survey fieldwork was undertaken by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) and the research was funded by the UK charity, The Health Foundation.
Important drivers
The findings come ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2026, and suggest the public recognises poverty and social conditions as important drivers of health harms and support policies that address these.
For example, Scotland is currently facing a declared national housing emergency. Many survey respondents linked Scotland’s housing shortage to high housing costs and insufficient social housing. Views on how best to address the problem were spread across several options, suggesting the public supports multi-pronged policy responses.
The survey also highlights clear differences between people living in Scotland’s most and least deprived communities.
Most people supported balancing investment between prevention and treatment, rather than prioritising one over the other. However, people living in Scotland’s most deprived areas were more cautious about shifting resources away from treatment or crisis services, reflecting the greater pressures experienced in communities facing the highest levels of disadvantage.
Public concern
Allison Catalano, researcher at SHERU, said: “These findings show there is overwhelming public concern about health inequalities in Scotland and strong support for action to reduce them.
“As Scotland approaches the 2026 elections, the results suggest voters expect political parties to address the root causes of poor health – including poverty, housing and other social conditions.”
Professor Kat Smith, Co-Lead of SHERU, added: “People often talk about behaviours like smoking, alcohol or diet when discussing health inequalities. But when you look across the survey responses, it’s clear many people recognise the wider social conditions that shape those behaviours and their impact on health.
“The differences we see between Scotland’s most and least deprived areas also remind us that life at the sharp end of inequality can look very different – and that lived experiences shape how people think about the causes of poor health and which policies people think should be prioritised.”
David Finch, Assistant Director at the Health Foundation said: "Ahead of the upcoming election, this survey shows the importance the public places on addressing sustained and very wide health inequalities in Scotland.
"Political parties need to urgently set out credible plans to invest in the building blocks of good health. After the election, regardless of who wins, the real test will be turning those commitments into meaningful action, especially for communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage."