Provisional (methodology v1.0). Weights and measures may change as more data is added.
Separate leagues. England, Scotland and Wales are measured differently, so a rank in one is not comparable with another. Why. England is stable; Scotland and Wales are provisional.
← All Scotland councils · Dundee City (28th) · West Dunbartonshire (30th)
Highland
Ranked 29th of 32 councils in Scotland: Bottom quarter; likely range 26th to 31st.
| Pillar | Weight | Rank | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service quality | 60% | 26 | Bottom quarter |
| Value for money | 20% | 28 | Bottom quarter |
| Financial health | 20% | 27 | Bottom quarter |
Service quality
Planning · ranked 30th of 32 Bottom quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local applications decided within 2 months | 49.0% | 2024-25 | 27 of 32 | 65.0% |
| Average weeks to decide a local application | 17.1 | 2024-25 | 31= of 32 | 10.6 |
| Average weeks to decide a major application | 52.2 | 2024-25 | 25 of 31 | 26.0 |
Waste & recycling · ranked 16th of 32 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste recycled | 45.8% | 2025-26 | 16 of 32 | 45.3% |
Complaints · ranked 22nd of 32 Lower middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman complaints upheld per 100,000 residents | 0.0 | 2025-26 | 1= of 32 | 0.0 |
| Ombudsman complaints determined per 100,000 residents | 41.7 | 2025-26 | 25 of 32 | 34.5 |
Children's services · ranked 32nd of 32 Bottom quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils gaining 5+ awards at SCQF level 5 | 63.0% | 2024-25 | 26 of 32 | 67.2% |
| P1, P4 and P7 pupils achieving expected literacy level | 69.0% | 2024-25 | 30 of 32 | 74.6% |
| P1, P4 and P7 pupils achieving expected numeracy level | 74.5% | 2024-25 | 31= of 32 | 80.2% |
| Pupils entering positive destinations | 93.5% | 2024-25 | 29 of 32 | 95.7% |
| School attendance rate | 90.1% | 2024-25 | 27 of 32 | 91.2% |
| School exclusions per 1,000 pupils | 17.1 | 2024-25 | 19 of 32 | 15.9 |
| Participation rate for 16-19 year olds | 95.0% | 2024-25 | 8 of 32 | 93.8% |
| Funded early years provision graded good or better | 81.0% | 2024-25 | 29 of 32 | 91.0% |
| Child protection re-registrations within 18 months | 10.6% | 2024-25 | 28 of 32 | 5.2% |
| Looked-after children with more than one placement in the year | 22.0% | 2024-25 | 27 of 32 | 16.7% |
Adult social care · ranked 13th of 32 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults supported at home who agree their support improved or maintained their quality of life | 77.2% | 2025-26 | 8 of 32 | 72.9% |
| Adult care services graded good or better | 82.9% | 2025-26 | 18 of 32 | 83.6% |
| Adults supported at home who agree they are supported to live as independently as possible | 78.6% | 2025-26 | 13 of 32 | 76.0% |
| Adults supported at home who agree they had a say in their support | 71.1% | 2025-26 | 4 of 32 | 64.2% |
| Carers who feel supported to continue caring | 33.4% | 2025-26 | 8 of 32 | 32.1% |
| Hospital readmissions within 28 days per 1,000 discharges | 112.4 | 2025-26 | 22 of 32 | 99.0 |
| Days in hospital when ready for discharge, per 1,000 population aged 75+ | 2147.0 | 2025-26 | 31= of 32 | 791.4 |
| People 65+ with long-term care needs receiving personal care at home | 55.1% | 2024-25 | 30 of 32 | 62.9% |
Homelessness · ranked 9th of 32 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintentionally homeless households moving to settled accommodation | 84.0% | 2025-26 | 10 of 32 | 79.9% |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households | 4.0 | 2026 | 12 of 32 | 4.2 |
| Average days in temporary accommodation, cases closed in the year | 244.0 | 2025-26 | 21 of 32 | 185.0 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money · ranked 28th of 30 Bottom quarter
Spend measure: £57.99 against £40.34 expected for a council with the same need and results (good results, higher cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home care cost per hour, people aged 65 or over | £57.99 | 2024-25 | – | £36.23 |
Children's services value for money · ranked 8th of 32 Top quarter
Spend measure: £7,947.35 against £8,453.16 expected for a council with the same need and results (weaker results, lower cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per primary school pupil | £7,947.35 | 2024-25 | – | £7,694.31 |
Waste value for money · ranked 31st of 32 Bottom quarter
Spend measure: £100.97 against £67.86 expected for a council with the same need and results (good results, higher cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cost of waste collection per premises | £100.97 | 2024-25 | – | £68.98 |
Planning value for money · ranked 4th of 32 Top quarter
Spend measure: £3,463.75 against £7,469.16 expected for a council with the same need and results (weaker results, lower cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of planning and building standards per planning application | £3,463.75 | 2024-25 | – | £7,235.29 |
Financial health
Reserves · ranked 8th of 32 Top quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of annual budgeted revenue | 19.6% | 2024-25 | 17 of 32 | 20.0% |
| Uncommitted General Fund balance as a share of budgeted net revenue | 3.4% | 2024-25 | 5 of 31 | 2.0% |
| Reliance on reserves as a share of net expenditure | 1.4% | 2024-25 | 23 of 32 | 0.9% |
Debt · ranked 31st of 32 Bottom quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financing costs as a share of net revenue stream (General Fund) | 11.7% | 2024-25 | 31= of 32 | 5.9% |
Context (shown, not scored)
Council tax · ranked 12th of 32 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,633.99 | 2026-27 | 12 of 32 | £1,682.60 |
Context
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 237,260 | 2025 |
| Households | 113,906 | 2024 |
| Net revenue expenditure per resident | £2,886.31 | 2024-25 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,633.99 | 2026-27 |
| Population per square kilometre | 9 | 2025 |
About these results
How these rankings work. Think something is wrong, or want to add a council statement? Tell us.
- Value for money is weak evidence. Scotland's deprivation index (SIMD) is being rebuilt and is not used, so costs are compared allowing only for population density and the share of residents aged 65 and over.
- There is no measure of special educational needs. Children's services are judged on outcomes (attainment, destinations, looked-after children), not inspection grades.
- Adult social care is run by health and social care partnerships, and in Highland is split between the council and the health board.
- Cities (4 councils) and Islands (3) are too small for a rank within the group to mean much.
- Ombudsman complaint counts are tiny in most councils, so complaints carry half the weight of other services.