Scots 'outspend UK on drink and smoking'

Published on Thursday 8 May 2008 22:31

THE stereotype of Scotland being a nation of drinkers and smokers appears to have been borne out by new research.

The country spends 3 per household a week more than the rest of the UK on alcohol, tobacco and drugs – but less on food.

Scotland also has the highest adult mortality rates in the UK for cancer and circulatory diseases.

New figures published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) detail the disparities between the different countries and regions of the UK.

They show that a majority of Scots households like a flutter on the Lottery – though they gamble slightly less than the rest of the UK, betting 4.30 a week, 20p below the national average.

Only those in north-east England are more enthusiastic participants in Lottery games, with almost 60 per cent of households spending 4.90 a week.

The average household expenditure across the UK is 432 a week.

Londoners spend the most at just over 500, while Scots spend 393.80. Only people in the north-east of England and Wales spend less.

Scots families spend 43.80 on food and non-alcoholic drinks, 14.30 on alcohol, tobacco and drugs (compared with 11.30 for the UK as a whole), 23.40 on clothing and shoes, 54,40 on transport and 53.70 on recreation and culture.

Last night, Evelyn Gillan, the director or Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, said there were "definitely cultural reasons" as to why Scots drank more than their neighbours. She added: "Alcohol has historically had a fairly central place in Scottish cultural life.

"If you look at our traditions and literature, it is very hard to think about a celebratory occasion that would not have alcohol. It was central to social life."

However, Ms Gillan praised the Scottish Government's efforts to tackle binge drinking – and noted the fall in hospital admissions for heart problems since the introduction of the smoking ban in 2006.

The figures, collated from a variety of official sources, related to different periods between 2006-7. They are used to aid policy-making at a local, national and European level.

Scots spend about average – around 12 per person per week – eating out. Meanwhile, home internet connections have shot up in the past five years and account for almost half the population.

The numbers of cars licensed in Scotland has jumped from 1.6 million in 1996 to almost 2.2 million a decade later, though the number of new registrations has fallen to under 200,000 a year – showing drivers are keeping their vehicles for longer.

Scotland is the only country in the UK with a declining population. It has fallen by around 60,000 since 1981.

POPULATION

SCOTLAND'S population has fallen by 1.2 per cent since 1981, from 5,180,200 to 5,116,900 – at a time when the total number of UK residents has risen 7.5 per cent to more than 60 million.

Inverclyde and Glasgow City were the two areas to suffer the biggest drops, down 19.4 per cent and 18.5 per cent retrospectively. But Glasgow remains the most populous – and densely packed – city, with 581,000 residents. Edinburgh was next with 464,000.

EARNINGS

AVERAGE weekly earnings in Scotland are 441 before tax, 15 behind the UK national average.

Average earnings are highest in East Renfrewshire (522) and lowest in Moray (377).

There is also a marked difference between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with people working in the capital earning 107 a week more. Some 87,000 Scots claim unemployment benefit – of which the largest number, 15,400, are in Glasgow.

DEATH RATES

SCOTLAND has the worst mortality rate in the UK – a clear indication of the poor state of the nation's health.

A total of 361 people per 100,000 population died early from circulatory diseases such as heart attacks, while 128 per 100,000 died from respiratory diseases.

Scotland topped the league for lung cancer – with women even more at risk than men – and also performed poorly for stomach cancer and leukaemia.

SCHOOL ROLL

IN SCOTLAND, 7 per cent of primary schools have more than 30 pupils, comparing favourably with a UK average of 11 per cent.

These figures relate to 2006-7, before the SNP took power at Holyrood on the back of a pledge to cut class sizes for the youngest children to 18.

Scotland has an average of 23 pupils per class – the second- lowest in the UK and fractionally behind Northern Ireland, which has an average of 22.9 pupils per class.

COMMUTING

MORE people travel to work by bus in Scotland than in any other part of the UK except London.

Figures for 2006 show that 12 per cent of employees used the bus. Only 4 per cent used the train, 11.5 per cent walked and the majority – almost 69 per cent – went by car.

Most journeys to work – 60 per cent – take up to 20 minutes to complete. Just 4 per cent of commuters have a trip lasting an hour or more – unlike London, where the figure is 17 per cent.

RAINFALL

SCOTLAND'S reputation as a country blighted by rain is true: figures show it is the wettest place in the UK.

Measured against a 30-year average, it was ranked top for rainfall in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Average annual rainfall between 1961 and 1990 was 1,436mm.

In 2006-7, the amount of summer rain was not the UK's worst – but the performance in the winter was so bad that it put Scotland in last place.