Scotland's main election issues in six charts

The outcome of the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May will determine who has responsibility for delivering major public services like health and education over the next five years.

But what issues will be on voters' minds when they go to the polls?

To find out, the BBC commissioned the polling firm Savanta to ask voters what they consider to be the most important issues facing their country today.

The poll asked how they thought the country was faring on these issues and how they might best be tackled.

It also asked for voters' views about independence and rejoining the EU, which we will be covering in depth on Tuesday.

Three topics dominate voters' concerns – the economy, including above all the cost of living; health and social care; and immigration.

Just over three-fifths of voters in Scotland say the cost of living is one of their top three issues. At the same time, around three in 10 include the economy more broadly in their top three.

As many as half mention health and social care in their list, while around three in 10 include immigration.

No other topic was mentioned by more than one in five people, although in both cases housing and poverty led the pack among the remaining issues.

Older voters, together with women, are particularly likely to mention health and social care, whereas housing is mentioned most often by younger voters. Immigration is particularly an issue for those who voted for Reform at the 2024 election.

Only one in eight (13%) voters included the question of whether the country is in or out of the UK in their top three issues, although the figure was much higher (31%) among 2024 SNP voters.

It seems voters are looking for answers on some key "bread and butter" issues.

Well over half those surveyed believe that the economic situation has deteriorated over the last 12 months. At the same time, around half also feel that the NHS has got worse.

A key question in May will be who voters hold responsible for this poor performance. It seems there is plenty of room for argument between the parties.

On both issues, there is little agreement about whether responsibility lies with the devolved government, the UK government, or both.

However, as we might anticipate, voters are more inclined to feel the Scottish government is responsible for the state of the health service than they are the economy.

In both cases, though, just over one in three or so reckon both governments have played a role.

In practice, people's views about where responsibility lies depend heavily on their politics.

For example, people who voted Conservative in 2024, who have never seen their party in power at Holyrood, are especially likely to point the finger of responsibility at the Scottish government.

The SNP has been in power in Scotland since 2007 and its supporters are inclined to feel the UK government is responsible – and especially so if they believe things have got worse over the last 12 months.

On immigration, 44% of Scottish voters believe migrants are good for their country while 30% believe they are bad.

Meanwhile, 48% of people feel their country needs fewer migrants, while only 17% think it needs more.

However, there is a sharp political divide on migration.

Those who voted Reform or Conservative in 2024 are more likely to say that migrants from outside the UK are bad for their country than they are to feel that they are good.

The opposite is true of Labour, Liberal Democrat and especially SNP voters.

The public services run by the devolved government have, of course, to be funded. That money comes partly from the UK government and partly from taxes raised in Scotland.

Just of half of voters (51%) believe that Scotland gets less than its fair share of UK government spending.

At the same time, however, there is a marked reluctance to see the Scottish government use its powers over income tax to set a higher rate than that in England.

The Scottish government sets all the rates for earned income, a power it has used extensively to raise more money from higher earners.

Only 15% of those surveyed believe the rate of income tax should be higher. Twice as many (30%) believe it should be lower.

At the same time, voters are slightly more likely to say that the Scottish government should reduce taxes and spend less on public services (27%) than they are the opposite view (22%).

However, in both cases, the most common response (47%) is that income tax should be the same as in England.

Indeed, over half of Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters think the rate of income tax should be the same, a view that is shared by two-fifths of nationalist voters.

The Scottish government also has extensive powers over welfare benefits, which it has used in some instances to pay more generous benefits than in England.

Although more (28%) believe that spending should be higher than in England than feel it should be lower (16%), again the most common response (48%) is that spending should be the same.

On this issue too, nationalist supporters are somewhat keener on divergence than those who support parties that favour maintaining the Union.

Even so, it appears that despite more than 25 years of devolved government, there is a widespread reluctance among voters to accept the idea that taxes and spending might be different from that in England.

Meanwhile, the poll also suggests that some of the distinctive policy positions of the devolved government are not widely supported by voters.

The Scottish government is opposed to new oil and gas developments in the North Sea and to the building of new nuclear power stations north of the border.

However, nearly half (47%) of Scots are in favour of allowing energy companies to seek new sources of oil and gas. Only 21% state they are opposed, while 24% neither support nor oppose. Even among those who voted SNP in 2024, nearly half (49%) are in favour, while less than a quarter (23%) are opposed.

At the same time, only 23% of Scots are opposed to new nuclear power stations being built in Scotland. Nearly two in five (39%) are in favour, while a quarter (25%) neither support nor oppose the idea. Among 2024 SNP voters, opponents (37%) are only slightly more numerous than supporters (33%).

Our poll is a reminder to all the parties that winning the election in May is only the beginning of the job of securing public support for the policies they wish to implement.

• The online survey of 2,136 people aged 16 and above in Scotland was commissioned by the BBC and conducted by Savanta. Fieldwork was carried out between 29 January and 6 February.

• John Curtice is Professor of Politics, Strathclyde University, and Senior Fellow, National Centre for Social Research and "The UK in a Changing Europe".