Nearly half of the 15 poorest areas are in Glasgow

The data identifies for the first time the country's most deprived area.

This is on the boundaries of the Queenslie and Barlanark wards in the east end of Glasgow.

The least deprived area in Scotland is identified as the Giffnock North ward of East Renfrewshire.

The information is contained in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

The Scottish Executive said the report would help the Cabinet, and town halls, to target cash more efficiently.

10 most deprived wards (all Glasgow) 1. Barlanark 2. Ruchill 3. Possilpark 4. Garthamlock 5. Keppochhill 6. Cranhill 7. Shettleston 8. Parkhead 9. Laurieston 10. Ruchazie

But Communities Minister Margaret Curran said that more than 200,000 children had already been helped out of poverty since Labour came to power.

Ms Curran, whose own constituency is among the areas with the highest levels of multiple deprivation, insisted investment in housing and health had helped ministers to make progress.

Glasgow is home to 17 of the 20 poorest areas, with the top 10 all in the city. Just over half of Glasgow's population live in these most deprived areas.

The study measures deprivation by health, housing, income, unemployment and education. It divides Scotland into 6,505 zones.

10 least deprived wards 1. Giffnock North, East Renfrewshire 2. Chapeltown, East Dunbartonshire 3. Midstocket, Aberdeen 4. Queens Cross, Aberdeen 5. South Morningside, (Comiston Road /Greenbank Drive), Edinburgh 6. South Morningside, (Braid Road/Braid Crescent), Edinburgh 7. Craigleith, Edinburgh 8. Westhill, Aberdeenshire 9. Netherlee, East Renfrewshire 10. Craiglockhart, Edinburgh

The leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, Tommy Sheridan, said: "New Labour continues to fail Glasgow and its low income citizens by presiding over a regime of low wages and high council tax which keeps hundreds of thousands in the swamp of poverty.

"A higher minimum wage and replacement of the unfair council tax with an income-based alternative will tackle poverty more than any glossy review from the Scottish Executive."

Figures earlier this year suggested more than 500,000 people had been lifted out of absolute poverty in Scotland between 1996/97 and 2001/02.

They were published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Scottish Executive.

The Child Poverty Action Group Scotland (CPAGS) called on the Scottish Executive to do more to improve the incomes of low-income families.