Number of Scots with long-term health conditions at record high

The number of Scots with a long-term health condition has reached a record high, a study has revealed.

The Scottish Health Survey found the percentage of people who reported living with at least one such condition in 2024 was 50% – the highest level since the survey began in 1995.

Almost two in five adults (39%) reported having a long-term health condition that limits their activities.

More than four in five adults living with a long-term condition (81%) said it caused them at least one impairment, most often related to mobility (32%), stamina, breathing or fatigue (28%) and/or mental health (26%).

The percentage of Scots who reported having diagnosed diabetes now stands at 8% – the highest level recorded since the survey began.

Diagnosed asthma among adults also reached a record high of 18%.

The survey, published by the Scottish Government on Tuesday, also found that one in four women reported having a possible psychiatric disorder, significantly more than men at 18%.

Rates were highest among adults living in the most-deprived areas at 31% compared with those living in the least-deprived areas at 17%.

Meanwhile, the proportion of adults who reported feeling lonely “most” or “all of the time” decreased from 10% in 2023 to 7% in 2024.

For the first time, the survey asked women about their experience of menopause.

Almost three-quarters of women aged 45–55 (72%) and around half of those aged 56 and over (53%) reported experiencing symptoms in the previous 12 months.

Around six in 10 (58%) of those experiencing symptoms had contacted a healthcare professional about their symptoms in the past year, most commonly a GP (45%).

The survey also reported that 13% of Scottish adults self-reported attitudes and feelings towards food that were indicative of a potential eating disorder. The figure was highest among 16 to 24-year-olds at 26%.

It found the proportion of Scots who smoke remained at 14% – a decline of 28% in 2003.

The percentage who reported vaping stood at 10%, with that figure rising to 18% for those aged between 16 and 24.

Paul Bradshaw, director of the Scottish Centre for Social Research, said: “This year’s survey paints a detailed picture of the health of people in Scotland.

“We see that half of adults are now living with at least one long-term health condition, and diabetes has reached its highest level on record.

“Encouragingly, mental well-being seems to be stabilising, and loneliness has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels.

“The new questions on menopause and eating behaviours provide important insights into experiences that have previously been under-reported in national data and a solid baseline for measuring trends in future years.”