PEOPLE have been given a fascinating glimpse into the affluent and traditional lifestyles of much of the East Renfrewshire population via a government household survey.

High incomes, good schools and multiple car ownership appear to define the lifestyle of many living in the area, according to the 2018 Scottish Household Survey.

The number of households coining in more than £70,000-£80,000 was much higher than the rest of Scotland, with six per cent of owner-occupied households in that category, compared to two per cent nationally.

And that was reflected in property types, as the area has a dramatically higher proportion of houses and bungalows (80.5 per cent) compared to the rest of the country (66 per cent).

In contrast, flats, maisonettes or apartments make up around just one fifth of property types.

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And, on the roads, the number of residents who can afford to run two or more cars is higher than the rest of Scotland. Forty-five per cent of households have at least two vehicles, compared to 29 per cent across Scotland.

Tom Arthur MSP, who represents communities such as Barrhead, said he agreed it was a desirable place to live, but admitted there was still work to be done in creating a fair society.

He added: “East Renfrewshire is on a very positive trajectory and has a unique identity which has to be celebrated.

“However, it also has challenges and we don’t want to be complacent.

“Everyone needs to be given the same opportunities, especially young people.” 

There was a mixed picture in terms of health according to the survey.

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One fifth of adults reported long-term health conditions in 2017, lower than the rest of Scotland, although this figure rose to 26 per cent in 2018.

However, this was still below the Scottish figure, which stands at 30 per cent.

The role of education in East Renfrewshire is also highlighted, with a high number of people saying good schools were a reason for moving to the area.

In terms of ethnicity, the survey lists almost 94 per cent of adults as white and four per cent Asian. Africans and other ethnic groups accounted for the remainder.

In terms of religion, more adults in East Renfrewshire report a belonging to the Church of Scotland on a percentage basis than in Scotland as a whole.

In 2018, 28 per cent of the population showed an allegiance to the Kirk as opposed to 22 per cent across Scotland.

However, the figures for the Church of Scotland show steady decline from 40 per cent in 2013.

The Roman Catholic faith has enjoyed fairly steady support in recent years and East Renfrewshire has more RCs -  18 per cent of the adult population - than in Scotland as a whole at four percentage points behind.

In 2018, adults belonging to other religions were listed as seven per cent, down slightly from previous year. 

The proportion of adults married or in a civil partnership was significantly higher than the rest of Scotland at 61 per cent while the national figure stands at 47 per cent. One per cent of those surveyed identified as homosexual.

A significantly high number of people rated their neighbourhood as a good place to live.