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Social Background
Generalisations about the social make-up of a country or a region must come equipped with a health warning. Countries and regions are a patchwork of varied local experience, rather than a uniform mass. Warnings aside, there are some broad themes to note:
With a population of 5.1 million, Scotland is the most sparsely populated part of the UK.
Just over 30% of households consist of one person living alone, the highest proportion after London.
The ethnic minority population is only 1%, compared to a UK average of 7%.
The standard of living in Scotland is relatively low:
The average income in Scotland is £143 per week compared to the UK average of £156.
Car ownership is low: nearly four in ten Scottish households do not have access to a car, compared to three in ten elsewhere.
Scotland is the best educated area in the UK:
Scottish educational attainment is higher than anywhere else in the UK. In Scotland, 51% gain five or more GCSEs (or equivalent) compared to 41% in Wales.
Scotland has the most favourable pupil-teacher ratio and spends 23% more per pupil than the rest of the UK.
After London, Scotland has the most highly qualified workforce with 42% qualified to at least Higher standard or equivalent.
Scotland has less crime than England, but a bigger drug problem:
The number of drug addicts in Scotland has more than doubled in the last six years, from 1,500 in 1991 to 3,500 in 1996.
However, less than one in five Scottish households have been victims of crime at least once during 1995, compared to one in three households in England.
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