Deprivation Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find downloadable files relating to SIMD?

Files relating to SIMD may now be found on the Scottish Government website 

Where can I find datazone population files?

These can be found on the GROS website or from Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics. 

Why do the deciles and quintiles on the ISD website differ from those on the Scottish Executive SIMD website?

Quintiles and deciles published on the ISD website are population based which is why they may differ from those available on the Scottish Executive website.  Also the categorisation of these quintiles and deciles differ - on the ISD website 1 represents the least deprived datazones and 5 (or 10 when looking at deciles) represents the most deprived datazones

What is the latest SIMD available?

The latest SIMD was published in October 2006 and is due to be updated again in 2-3 years time.  At this time ISD recommend using SIMD2006 for analysis back to 1997.

How do I use SIMD2004 and SIMD2006 together?

SIMD2004 and SIMD2006 are based on slightly different methodologies and data sources and, as such, are not directly comparable.  For more information on this and for other general SIMD queries please see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/SIMD.  As a result it is not recommended to combine SIMD2004 and SIMD2006 in the same analysis; for all new analysis going back to 1997 SIMD2006 should be used.