TACKLING poverty and inequality is a top concern for Scots, a new survey suggests.

Just over a third of people described dealing with the problem of poverty and inequality as the top issue of concern facing Scotland right now — compared to 26 per cent who cited the economy.

The first ever Understanding Scotland survey found that among those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods, 38 per cent were concerned about poverty and inequality, with less than a fifth worried about the economy.

By contrast, in the least deprived areas the economy was listed as a top concern by 34 per cent.

Its first poll found that the NHS is Scotland’s most trusted institution, with almost a fifth saying they trusted it “entirely” and nearly three-quarters of people giving the service a trust score of seven out of 10 or higher.

The research also found that “the government and the political system more broadly, were among the least trusted institutions overall.”

The research was undertaken by the Diffley Partnership, whose founder and director Mark Diffley said: “Assessing the public mood as we emerge from the pandemic and start to deal with the economic headwinds coming towards us provides sobering reading for decision-makers.”