AROUND a quarter of people aged over 16 held no qualifications in 2011, according to census information.

The figure is based on details that were broken down to give a picture of education and the labour market.

The national proportion of 27% is equal to 1.2 million people in Scotland having no qualifications. The highest proportion was 34% in East Ayrshire and the lowest was in Edinburgh at 17%.

Census details also show that 26% of over-16s had a high-level qualification such as a degree or professional qualification. The highest proportion in the top bracket was 41% in the capital and the lowest was 17% in West Dunbartonshire.

Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Mary Scanlon MSP said it was important to work on the "levels of aspiration" among young people. She said: "It is utterly irresponsible of the Scottish Government to make this path more difficult by removing money from colleges."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "In future, these figures, like the content of the entire census, will be seen as an interesting snapshot of life in Scotland in 2011. However, when considering statistics on employment and education two years down the line, it must be borne in mind that considerable progress has been made up to 2013.

"Work to ensure that background, be it geographical or social, is not a barrier to entering university has been stepped up by the Post 16 Education Act, which aims to firm up the principle that education should be based on the ability to learn not the ability to pay."