Social Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)
/The SIMD is a way of helping understand and find which areas in Scotland are ‘deprived’. It could be useful if you want to understand more about the profile of neighbourhoods in your area and where services could be targeted, or if you need to show data relating to poverty and inequality in your community, such as for a funding application.
The term ‘deprived’ means that people in the area are more likely to experience the following:
low income
unemployment
a lower level of educational attainment
poorer health and wellbeing
less access to services
crime
poor-quality housing
The SIMD is the Scottish Government's standard approach to identify areas of multiple deprivation in Scotland. It helps to improve understanding about inequality and poverty and also to target funding and policies that can address these challenges.
