Child poverty rate among rural Dumfries and Galloway communities hits record high
New figures show there has been a huge increase in rural poverty rates over the past 15 years.
The Scottish Government has been accused of 'turning its back on rural communities' after rural child poverty rates hit a record high.
New figures show that the rate of youngsters in rural areas living in relative poverty was 21.3 per cent between 2021 to 2024 – up from 14.5 per cent between 2020 and 2023.
And the number of people in rural areas living in relative poverty rose from 190,000 to 220,000 over the same period.
The data, based on Scottish Government analysis of the Family Resources Survey, also reveals a huge increase from 2009-12, when 140,000 in rural areas were deemed to be living in relative poverty.
South Scotland Labour MSP, Colin Smyth, said: 'My South Scotland constituency takes in some of the most rural parts of Scotland and we see the evidence of the Scottish Government's neglect in every aspect of rural life.
'The SNP has turned its back on rural communities and children are paying the price.
'After almost 18 years of SNP Government, rural economies are struggling, housing is short in supply, and healthcare is too often out of reach.
'People are being cut off by ferries that don't sail, roads that aren't safe and buses that barely exist.
'The SNP's failures in government are hollowing out rural communities and here we can see the devastating consequences.'
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'The Joseph Rowntree Foundation predicts Scotland will be the only part of the UK where child poverty rates will fall by 2029.
'This is thanks to the action the Scottish Government is taking to support people, including the Scottish Child Payment and our work to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026.
'However, our policies are having to work harder than ever to make a difference, against a backdrop of UK Government decision making, a continuing cost-of-living crisis, and stagnating living standards at the UK level.
'It is vital that the UK Government takes action to support people during tough times and with energy bills having risen by £300 and other costs continuing to rise, rural communities need to see action from the UK Government now.
'What will not help our mission to eradicate child poverty is the cuts to support for disabled people proposed by the UK Government, which will push 250,000 more people into poverty, 50,000 of whom are children.'
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