SIMD: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation for Small Areas, 2012

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) identifies small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across Scotland. The 2012 publication is an update to SIMD 2009 and enables change over time analysis. It is produced by the Scottish Government as Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics.

Use Cases

• Identify areas of concentrated socioeconomic disadvantage based on the multiple deprivation index.
• Analyze changes in deprivation patterns over time using the 2012 update to the 2009 index.
• Support resource allocation and policy targeting for small geographic areas across Scotland.
• Conduct spatial analysis of social and economic conditions using the small-area geography.

Strengths

• Provides a standardized, government-produced index for measuring multiple deprivation.
• Enables longitudinal analysis of deprivation with the 2012 update to the 2009 version.
• Offers small-area geographic granularity for detailed spatial analysis across Scotland.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-07-08 13:31:45.976976; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

Scottish Government

Time Range

2012 (update to 2009)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-08 13:31:45.976976

Geography

Scotland