Smoking - Scottish Survey Core Questions
type: Dataset
version notes: Revisions are dealt with in accordance with the [Scottish Government Statistics Revisions Policy](https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0045/00457524.pdf).
contact point: Kind
contact point: Organization
theme: Health and Social Care
description: Two of the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework (NPF) National Indicators are relevant to smoking. There is a specific indicator on reducing the proportion of adults who are current smokers, as well as a more general indicator on reducing premature mortality (deaths from all causes in those aged under 75), for which smoking is a significant contributory factor. The Scottish Survey Core Questions is an innovative project drawing together multiple household surveys to provide a large sample for subnational analysis. For more information on this source, see the [SSCQ website](https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-surveys-core-questions/).
issued: 2026-08-13T08:36:10.648147
modified: 2026-08-13T08:37:17.850030
accuracy: SSCQ results are published with specific 95% confidence intervals, which account for the varying designs of constituent surveys. Confidence intervals provide a measure of the accuracy of point estimates, and should be considered when quoting statistics from this source. More information is provided in the SSCQ annual report.
comment: Current smokers by Current smokers by tenure, household type, age, sex and disability. The Scottish Survey Core Questions is an innovative project drawing together multiple household surveys to provide a large sample for subnational analysis.
completeness: In addition to the data presented here, SSCQ reports, documentation and tables for download are available on [the SSCQ webpages of the Scottish Government website](https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-surveys-core-questions/)
confidentiality: This dataset does not contain any sensitive or personal information.
consistency: The preferred source of statistics for time series at Scotland level before 2015 was the Scottish Household Survey. Comparisons of results between SSCQ and the SHS are provided in the SSCQ annual report. By pooling three surveys, SSCQ provides results at sub-national level that are often impossible with a smaller sample. Earlier results (2012-2015 and 2014-2017) from the survey are presented for Electoral Wards using the 2007 to 2016 boundaries. These may not be comparable to other datasets which use the current Electoral Ward boundaries. Details on live and archived geographies can be found in the [Standard Geography Code Register](https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/sns/SNSRef/StanGeoCodeRegister).
geographical coverage: S13
geographical coverage: S12
geographical coverage: S08
geographical coverage: S92
geographical coverage: S16
geographical coverage: S14
license id: uk-ogl
quality management: Further information on the methodologies used to produce these statistics can be found in [the SSCQ technical reports](https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-surveys-core-questions/).
reference period: PeriodOfTime
  end date: 2019
  start date: 2012
timeliness: Results from the SSCQ are generally published a year after the conclusion of fieldwork period, and after results from the constituent survey are published.
uniqueness: Not assessed
update frequency: annual
validity: The pooling of Core Questions results in an annual sample of around 20,000 respondents, providing unprecedented precision of estimates at national level. This sample size enables the detailed and reliable analysis of national indicators by protected equalities characteristics such as ethnic group, religion, country of birth, sexual orientation, age, and gender. Further variables are education level, economic activity, tenure, car access and household type. Multi-level analysis is available on request.
will be updated: false

Health and Social Care
type: Concept

Scottish Government
type: Agent

smoking-sscq.csv
type: Distribution
table schema: Schema
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyType
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Gender
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Measurement
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyCode
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyName
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Age
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Type Of Tenure
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Currently Smokes Cigarettes
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Limiting Long Term Physical Or Mental Health Condition
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Units
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: DateCode
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Household Type
  column: Column
    datatype: float
    name: Value
access URL: https://admin.data.gov.scot/resource/64f67535-fceb-4a8d-b0a9-32acc5c8504e/download
description: Data file for Smoking - Scottish Survey Core Questions
format: CSV
issued: 2026-08-13T08:37:17.864569
modified: 2026-08-13T08:37:17.858709
comment: Current smokers by Current smokers by tenure, household type, age, sex and disability. The Scottish Survey Core Questions is an innovative project drawing together multiple household surveys to provide a large sample for subnational analysis.
dictionary: Column
  column: Age
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyType
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Value
  type: float
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Measurement
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Gender
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyName
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: DateCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Units
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Currently Smokes Cigarettes
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Limiting Long Term Physical Or Mental Health Condition
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Household Type
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Type Of Tenure
  type: text