Research published today [6 May] by the Scottish Information Commissioner finds that public awareness of freedom of information (FOI) in Scotland has reached its highest level since the FOI ‘right to information’ was introduced in 2005.
The survey of 1,057 adults finds that 93% of people reported having heard of FOI, continuing a long‑term upward trend. Support for FOI also remains strong, with respondents viewing it as an important contributor to openness and accountability.
Despite the high levels of awareness of FOI, there is also evidence that public confidence in using FOI rights is lagging behind. 86% of respondents said they have never made an information request to a Scottish public body, while 43% reported they were not confident they would receive a response if they did so.
This data contrasts with the actual performance of Scottish public bodies, with data published by the Scottish Information Commissioner showing that, Scottish public bodies received over 110,000 requests over the last year and responded to more than 86% on time.
The latest public awareness survey also reveals that broad public agreement that public bodies should proactively publish information about their work, and strong support for ensuring the Commissioner can intervene where organisations underperform on FOI, with 88% agreeing the Commissioner should be sufficiently resourced.
Commenting on the findings, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton said:
"I am delighted to see awareness of freedom of information in Scotland at its highest ever level. Coupled with strong public support for proactive publication, we can see a clear expectation that information should be made available openly and routinely.
With Scottish public authorities handling over 110,000 requests in the past year, the use of freedom of information laws continues to grow rapidly, a right highly valued by the people of Scotland. The focus now is on building confidence, so people can trust that asking for information will lead to a clear and timely response.”
The findings in the survey also show strong support for extending FOI coverage to private sector organisations that deliver public services, with 87% agreeing that people should have the same rights to access information as if a public body was providing the services. 92% of respondents also felt there should be a regular review of which bodies should be covered by FOI law.
The survey also found that:
- 97% agreed that it is important for the public to be able to access information held by public bodies
- 75% agreed that FOI helps to prevent bad practice in public bodies
- 90% were more likely to trust an organisation that publishes a lot of information about its work
- 93% agreed that public bodies should provide support to people who want to access public information
The findings also indicated that respondents were cautious about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the making of FOI requests, in light of recent examples of its use to support the submission of high volumes of requests. 71% of respondents indicated that there may be a need for limits on the use of AI in this context.
The full survey findings are published on the Commissioner’s website at www.foi.scot/public-awareness-of-foi.
ENDS
For further information contact media@foi.scot
NOTES to Editors:
FOI at a glance
- Freedom of information (FOI) gives you the right to request recorded information from public bodies.
- Requests need to be made in a recorded format, such as by email, letter or audio file.
- Public bodies covered by FOI include local councils, the Scottish Government, colleges, universities, the NHS and the police.
- Public bodies must help you to make a request if needed and are required to respond within 20 working days.
- Most information is provided free of charge.
- FOI also requires that public bodies must publish as much information as possible to support transparency and reduce the need for requests.
- Information can only be withheld in some circumstances, where FOI law allows it.
- If you are unhappy with a response, you can ask the authority to review it and, if necessary, appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
- For more information on using your FOI rights, visit www.foi.scot/yourrights
About the Scottish Information Commissioner
- David Hamilton, the Scottish Information Commissioner is a fully independent public official, appointed by His Majesty the King on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament.
- The Commissioner is responsible for promoting and enforcing Scotland's freedom of information laws.
- The Commissioner investigates applications and issues legally enforceable decisions; promotes good practice amongst public authorities; and provides the pubic with information on their rights.
About the public awareness research
The 2025 research was carried out by ScotPulse using an online survey, with fieldwork undertaken between 28 November and 2 December 2025.
Respondents were drawn from ScotPulse’s panel of 43,000 members. 1,057 responses were collected across a nationally representative sample, weighted by gender and age to 2023 Scottish population estimates.
The full report is available on: www.foi.scot/public-awareness-of-foi
FOI performance data
- To date there has been over 4516 decisions made by the Commissioner.
- Over 110,000 requests have been made to Scottish public bodies in the last year with an estimated over 1.5 million requests being made throughout Scotland since 2005.
For a full breakdown of all data collected in the quarterly statistics collection visit: www.foi.scot/statistics
