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A new report has warned of a “clear decline in trust” in the Scottish government since devolution, with less than half of respondents saying it acts in the country’s best interests.
The Scottish Social Attitudes survey, published by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) on Thursday, found 47% of Scots trust the Scottish government to do what is right for Scotland.
The figure has decreased from 61% in 2019 and is down from 81% when devolution began in 1999.
The survey, 25 Years Of Devolution In Scotland: Public Attitudes And Reaction, also found 38% of respondents believe the government is good at listening to the public before making decisions, the lowest result since 2006.
The statistics on trust in the Scottish government are from research in 2023, with other data coming from 2024.
Satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to 22%, which ScotCen says is comparable with the rest of the UK.
This follows a 2023 finding in which 69% of people surveyed said they felt the standard of the health service had declined.
ScotCen said this represents the lowest level of satisfaction and the highest perception of a decline in standards since the time series began in 1999.
In 2024, around two in five adults in Scotland (41%) said they were living comfortably or doing alright financially, while around one in four (24%) reported they were really struggling.
Most of those north of the border continued to identify as Scottish, though the 74% saying in 2024 that it was at least one of their identities was a reduction from 84% who said so in 1999.
Despite trust in the Scottish government having reduced, support for independence is at 47%, up from 27% in 1999.
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Paul Bradshaw, director of ScotCen, said: “These latest results show a clear decline in trust in the Scottish government, alongside continued concern about public services and the economy.
“While Scots remain strongly attached to their…
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