Two-fifths of Scots who do not own their own home believe they will never be able to get on the property ladder, according to research.
High deposits and strict lending criteria are the main reasons, property experts said.
The study also shows that just over a quarter of those asked think this is a "normal" situation.
Opposition politicians claim the Bank of Scotland How Scotland Lives report shows "aspiration has stalled" for first time buyers in Scotland.
They hit out at the Scottish Government over cuts to Help to Buy schemes, with Labour's communities spokesman Ken Macintosh saying: "This report shows that the SNP Government plan to reduce support for first time buyers through cuts to the help to buy scheme will make it so much harder for young people to get onto the housing ladder."
The Scottish Conservatives also criticised the cuts and accused the SNP of "cruelly snatching away" the right to buy for council tenants.
The report shows that while 40 per cent believe they will never own their own home, 26 per cent are optimistic about ownership with no financial help other than a mortgage and eight per cent believe they will be able to buy with help from family. The remaining 26 per cent said they do not know if they will ever own property.
Estate agents Savills said there are still significant financial barriers for those looking to buy for the first time.
Faisal Choudhry, director of Scottish Residential Research at Savills, said: "For those who do want to own their own property, they can benefit from current low mortgage rates, with the average rate sitting at 2.6 per cent, compared to 6 per cent in 2007.
"However, there are barriers that go along with that including the high deposit now required and tough lending criteria."
He added that there are schemes available to help first time buyers but people may not be fully aware of them, and encouraged potential buyers to speak with mortgage brokers and not "presume they can't afford it".
Estate agent Aberdein Considine also claimed the current strength of the Scottish market may be locking some people out.
Douglas Telfer, a partner at the firm, said: "Just this week, the Registers of Scotland announced that the average price of a home in Scotland had reached a new record, so our property market is very strong at the moment.
"Since the recession in 2008, prices have been steadily rising across the country, so there are particular parts of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen which are difficult to buy in.
"However, buyers actually have it pretty good at the moment."
The study, which surveyed more than 3,000 people, shows that younger generations are the most optimistic about owning their own home. Almost half (45 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds and just under two-fifths (38 per cent) of 25 to 34-year-olds surveyed believe they will be a homeowner without the need to borrow money other than a mortgage.
Only four per cent of people aged 50 and over were of the same mind-set.
Savills said this was likely to be because younger buyers can take on mortgages over a longer period of time, meaning lower monthly payments.
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess the government had helped more than 13,500 first time buyers, with thousands more on track to benefit in the coming years.
She added: "We recently announced more than £160 million of new funding for 2016/17 to support home ownership schemes that will help 5,000 households to buy their own home.
"Importantly, this new funding is specifically targeted to support low income individuals and families across Scotland get on or up the housing ladder."
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