Scotland: Other topics

Scotland's population size is 5,295,403

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  1. Learning disabilities
  2. Autism

People with learning disabilities, and people with autism, are not homogeneous groups, and they intersect with all other identity groups across Scotland.

Scotland is an increasingly diverse nation. For example, whilst Scotland is overwhelmingly white, the number of minority ethnic communities has nearly doubled between 2001 and 2011. There has been very little focus on the ways in which people with learning disabilities and people with autism have multiple intersecting identities in relation to ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class, religion, and other identities.

In order to fully understand what it is like to be a person with learning disabilities and/or autism in Scotland, we need to explore the ways in which they intersect with other identities. For more information about equality and rights policies go to our policy pages.

Country of Birth

  All People People with learning disabilities
Total % Total %
United Kingdom 4,926,119 93.0% 25,599 97.2%
Other European Countries 172,243 3.3% 298 1.1%
Africa 46,742 0.9% 120 0.5%
Middle East and Asia 104,530 2.0% 205 0.8%
The Americas and the Caribbean 33,353 0.6% 93 0.4%
Other 12,416 0.2% 34 0.1%
Total 5,295,403 100.0% 26,349 100.0%

Country of birth

People with learning disabilities

25,599

UK


298

other European Countries


120

Africa


205

Middle East and Asia


93

The Americas and the Carribbean


34

other countries


Country of birth by gender

People with learning disabilities

Ethnicity

  All People People with learning disabilities
Total % Total %
White: Scottish 4,382,131 82.8% 20,875 79.2%
White: other 613,534 11.6% 1,509 5.7%
Asian 133,506 2.5% 78 0.3%
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 19,068 0.4% 446 1.7%
African 28,170 0.5% 45 0.2%
Caribbean or Black 6,279 0.1% 29 0.1%
Other ethnic groups 13,698 0.3% 34 0.1%
Not reported 99,017 1.9% 3,333 12.6%
Total 5,295,403 100.0% 26,349 100.0%

Ethnicity

People with learning disabilities

20,875

white Scottish


1,509

white other


446

mixed ethnicity


78

Asian


45

African


63

other


3,333

not reported


Language spoken at home

  All People People with learning disabilities
Total % Total %
English only 4,740,547 92.6% 23,361 90.3%
Gaelic 24,974 0.5% 66 0.3%
Scots 55,817 1.1% 255 1.0%
British Sign Language 12,533 0.2% 682 2.6%
Polish 54,186 1.1% 69 0.3%
Other 230,166 4.5% 1,439 5.6%
Total 5,118,223 100.0% 25,872 100.0%

Language used at home

People with learning disabilities aged 3 and over

23,361

English only


1,439

other


682

Brittish Sign Language


255

Scots


69

Polish


66

Gaelic


Gaelic language skills

  All People People with Learning Disabilities
Total % Total %
No skills in Gaelic 5,005,640 98.3% 25,527 98.7%
Understands, speaks, reads or writes in Gaelic 86,711 1.7% 345 1.3%
Total 5,092,351 100.0% 25,872 100.0%

Religion

  All People People with learning disabilities
Total % Total %
Church of Scotland 1,717,871 32.4% 8,226 31.2%
Roman Catholic 841,053 15.9% 4,238 16.1%
Other Christian 291,275 5.5% 1,237 4.7%
Buddhist 12,795 0.2% 32 0.1%
Hindu 16,379 0.3% 13 0.1%
Jewish 5,887 0.1% 41 0.2%
Muslim 76,737 1.5% 355 1.4%
Sikh 9,055 0.2% 31 0.1%
Other religion 15,196 0.3% 45 0.2%
No religion 1,941,116 36.7% 9,298 35.3%
Religion not stated 368,039 7.0% 2,833 10.8%
Total 5,295,403 100.0% 26,349 100.0%

Religion

People with learning disabilities

9,298

no religion


8,226

Church of Scotland


4,238

Roman Catholic


2,833

not reported


1,237

other Christian


355

Muslim


45

other


41

Jewish


32

Buddhist


31

Sikh


13

Hindu


Religion by age group and gender

People with learning disabilities

Summary information

97.2% of people with learning disabilities were born in the UK, compared with 93.0% of all people


  • 1.1% of people with learning disabilities were born in other European countries, compared with 3.3% of all people


  • 79.2% of people with learning disabilities are white and Scottish, compared with 82.8% of all people


  • 90.3% of people with learning disabilities speak English at home, compared with 92.6% of all people


  • 35.3% of people with learning disabilities have no religion, compared with 36.7% of all people



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