SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
WRITTEN ANSWER
28 January 2010
Index Heading: Health and Wellbeing
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were living in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty in (i) 1997, (ii) 2007 and (iii) the last year for which figures are available.
(S3W-30847)
Mr Alex Neil MSP :
During the financial year 1997-98 1,000,000 people (20% of the population) were in relative poverty (before housing costs) and 1,060,000 people (21% of the population) in Scotland were in absolute poverty (before housing costs).
The financial year 2007-08 is the last year for which figures are currently available. During this year 860,000 people (17% of the population) were in relative poverty (before housing costs) and 560,000 people (11% of the population) were in absolute poverty (before housing costs).
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
