While most of the people living in the Forfar and Kirriemuir locality enjoy a good quality of life, significant numbers do not. There is a number of areas and aspects of life in which some people do less well than others in the locality, across Angus and in comparable communities elsewhere in Scotland. The aspects of life in which parts of the area – in particular Forfar Central do less well include:
- parts of Letham and Glamis, Kirriemuir Landward and the Angus Glens fall into the 5% most deprived areas in Scotland in relation to access to services such as a GP surgery, post office and schools
- in Forfar Central young people are attaining less well at school than those elsewhere. Overall people living in this area fair less well in education and fewer young people move on from school to a positive destination
- child poverty rates in Forfar Central and Forfar West are above the Angus baseline and those in comparable areas
- in Forfar Central and Kirriemuir Landward, people over the age of 65 are more likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency than in comparable areas the number of people who are prescribed drugs for anxiety and depression in Forfar central and west is well above national and local averages
- the percentage of older adults receiving pension credits in Forfar Central is significantly higher than in Angus as a whole
- the number of people receiving out of work benefits in Forfar Central is higher than the Angus baseline and those in comparable areas
- over 22% of people in parts of Forfar West and Forfar Central are regarded as income deprived, placing these areas in the worst 20% in Scotland on this measure
- almost 1 in 5 (18%) of people living in parts of Forfar West are regarded as employment deprived
- Forfar West and the Kirriemuir landward area are experiencing significant depopulation, which goes against the overall trend for Angus