Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey was launched by ScotCen Social Research (formerly the Scottish Centre for Social Research) in 1999, following the advent of devolution. Based on annual rounds of interviews of between 1,200 to 1,500 people drawn using probability sampling (based on a stratified, clustered sample), it aims to facilitate the study of public opinion and inform the development of public policy in Scotland, similar to the British Social Attitudes (BSA) series (held at the Archive under GN 33168). The SSA survey has been conducted annually each year since 1999, with the exception of 2008. The survey has a modular structure. In any one year it typically contains three to five modules, each containing 40 questions. Funding for its first two years came from the Economic and Social Research Council, while from 2001 onwards different bodies have funded individual modules each year. These bodies have included the Economic and Social Research Council, the Scottish Government and various charitable and grant awarding bodies, such as the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust. Further information on the SSA and links to publications may be found on the ScotCen Social Research Scottish Social Attitudes webpages.

The 2021/22 SSA contained modules of questions on attitudes to government and who should make decisions, views on the Scottish economy and living standards, politics and voting, attitudes towards Scotland’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, attitudes towards accessing healthcare services digitally and towards people with problem drug use, all funded by the Scottish Government. Questions on attitudes to the EU, Brexit and Scottish independence were included and funded by the Scottish Centre for Social Research.Latest edition informationFor the second edition (September 2024), the panel survey data and accompanying documentation were added to the study. The 2021-22 panel survey contained questions on attitudes to the Gaelic and Scots languages (funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig) and attitudes to sovereignty (funded by the ESRC). Questions on attitudes to the EU, Brexit and Scottish independence were included and funded by the Scottish Centre for Social Research.

Main Topics:

The 2021-22 telephone questionnaire covered the following topics: attitudes to pandemic handling by  governmentattitudes to stigma around problematic drug use and wider health issuesattitudes to the EU, Brexit and Scottish Independenceaccessing digital servicespolitical scales left-right, libertarian-authoritarianHousehold income The 2021-22 Panel questionnaire covered the following topics Attitudes to Gaelic and Scots languageAttitudes to sovereigntyAttitudes to the EU, Brexit and Scottish Independence

Multi-stage stratified random sample

Telephone interview: Computer-assisted (CATI)

Face-to-face interview

Self-completion