Aggregated Sample Overview & Composition

The aggregated waves of SPA polling data form an overall sample size of 10,562 people from across Scotland, all of whom have been selected randomly from the larger ScotPulse panel of more than 43,000 people.

Wave 1 was collected in July 2022 and consists of 2,594 people.

Wave 2 was collected in February 2023 and consists of 2,663 people.

Wave 3 was collected in July 2023 and consists of 2,718 people and;

Wave 4 was collected in January 2024 and consists of 2,587 people.

These similarly-sized samples, each of a statistically significant size in their own right, were therefore collected at roughly six-monthly intervals over an 18-month period, and collectively form a very large overall sample size to enable reliable sub-group analysis.

An indication of the diversity across the overall aggregated sample of 10,562 is shown below.

It should be noted that when analysing the sample, statistical weightings (by age and gender) are applied to individual responses to ensure a balance with what is known about the size and structure of the wider Scottish population. Applying weightings increases the sample’s representativeness and therefore its reliability when speaking for the population of Scotland as a whole.

Aggregated Sample Composition

Gender
51.8% Women
48.2% Men

Geography
30.8% from East Command
27.2% from North Command
41.7% from West Command

Urban-Rural
35% Large Urban Areas
33% Other Urban Areas
8.5% Accessible Small Towns
4.4% Remote Small Towns
12.3% Accessible Rural Areas
6.9% Remote Rural Areas

SIMD
16.3% from SIMD Quintile 1
18.9% from SIMD Quintile 2
21.9% from SIMD Quintile 3
22% from SIMD Quintile 4
21% from SIMD Quintile 5

Age Group
12.4% aged 16-24
16.5% aged 25-34
14.9% aged 35-44
16.4% aged 45-54
16.5% aged 55-64
23.3% aged 65+

Household Composition
17.2% 1 Person Household
44% 2 Person Household
19.2% 3 Person Household
14.5% 4 Person Household
4% 5 Person Household
1.1% 6 Persons+ in Household