2022

Two million households have now submitted their census response, National Records of Scotland have revealed, as they said the estimated 700,000 remaining have just one week left to fill in their return. 

The census is due to close on May 1 and anyone who fails to submit their response by then could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1000. 

Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture said: 

“It’s essential that every householder in Scotland completes the census; it’s also your legal responsibility.

“I would ask everyone who has not submitted their census return to do so now. It only takes a few minutes to answer questions about yourself, your household, and the place where you live; the information gathered is vital in shaping important services in your community, from the building of new schools and hospitals to improving transport links and understanding health needs.

“We know that there are people who have begun the census online but haven’t completed it, and that others have requested a paper copy but haven’t yet returned it. If this applies to you, please act now and use the support available to ensure we receive your response by the deadline.” 

National Records of Scotland Chief Executive Paul Lowe added: 

“Thank you to the two million households who have already submitted their response. For anyone that still hasn’t, I would urge you to act now. Help and support to complete your census is available on our website census.gov.scot or via our free helpline 0800 030 8308. Paper forms are still available on request for those who need them.” 

The 2022 census will benefit Scotland for many years; it asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status. New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status. 

Census letters have been issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people.

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of World War Two and in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For more information and to complete the census online, visit census.gov.scot

Households who don’t fill in the census by 1 May are being warned they may face prosecution, which could lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £1000.

With only weeks left to submit responses, National Records of Scotland Chief Executive Paul Lowe warns that people who have yet to complete theirs may be subject to prosecution. 

He said: 

“Taking part in the census is a legal responsibility. The census provides vital information required to invest in and run the services we all rely on.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has filled in their census. For anyone who has yet to complete it, help and support is available on the website census.gov.scot or via our free helpline on 0800 030 8308. Anyone who hasn’t completed it could be facing a fine, so I would strongly urge everyone to make use of our support.” 

More than 90% of responses received so far have been submitted online via census.gov.scot, with just over 9% to date submitted on paper. In 2011, only 20% of all census responses were submitted online. 

Paul Lowe added: “We’re very pleased with the number of responses that have been submitted online. Our preparation work for the Census told us that the majority of people would prefer to respond online, and it is good to see that this is the case. However, paper copies are still available for anyone who is not able to submit online – please call us on 0800 030 8308.

“We are also aware that up to a further 100,000 online returns have been started but not submitted so if this applies to you, please complete your return, or get in touch with us if you need assistance.”

Field teams have been visiting households to offer guidance and to advise on sources of support. For those in greatest need of assistance, the option to complete their return over the phone is also being offered. 

The census asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status. New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status. 

Census letters have been issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people. 

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of World War Two and in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For more information and to complete the census online, visit census.gov.scot. 

As at 10 April 2022, 14,202 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

In the week 4 to 10 April, 139 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, a decrease of 33 deaths from the previous week.

111 deaths were aged 75 or older, 18 were aged 65 to 74, and 10 were under 65. 67  were female and 72 were male.

There were 15 deaths in North Lanarkshire, 14 in Highland, 11 in Glasgow City, and 10 in Fife. In total, 30 council areas (out of 32) had at least one death involving COVID-19 last week.

71 deaths occurred in hospitals, 51 were in care homes, 16 were at home or a non-institutional setting, and there was one death in another institution type.

Our monthly analysis shows that the age-standardised rate of COVID-related deaths was higher in March 2022 (145 per 100,000) compared to February 2022 (83 per 100,000) Throughout the pandemic, the highest rate of COVID-related deaths was 585 per 100,000 people in April 2020.

Of the 14,106 deaths involving COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2022, 93% (13,113) had at least one pre-existing condition, with the most common being dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said:

“The latest figures show that last week there were 139 deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. This is 33 fewer deaths than the previous week.

“The number of deaths from all causes registered in Scotland in this week was 1,222, which is 120, or 11%, more than the five year average.”

There have been nine deaths in Scotland in which the underlying cause of death was due to the adverse effects of vaccination against COVID-19, and two further deaths where an adverse effect was mentioned on the death certificate. This is no increase from the figure reported last month. By 31 March 2022, statistics from Public Health Scotland state that 4.4 million people had been given at least one vaccine dose.

The publication Deaths involving coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland is available on the NRS website.

Background

Since 23 March we have ceased publishing news releases and full reports on a weekly basis but continue to update the weekly COVID-19 death information in our data and charts spreadsheet at 9.30 am on a Thursday. We publish a full report and news release once a month.

NRS figures include deaths where ‘suspected’ or ‘probable’ COVID-19 appears on the death certificate.

Data are provisional and subject to change in future weekly publications. The 2021 data will be finalised in summer 2022.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775-027-380
Email: [email protected]  

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]

Busy parents encouraged to fill in the census

Olivia has overtaken Isla to become Scotland’s most popular name for baby girls for the second time, according to figures on baby names registered in 2021 published today by National Records of Scotland.

Jack is the most popular name for baby boys for the 14th year in succession, followed by Noah and Leo.

Lyla shot up 56 places in the top 100 girls’ names to 74th overall, while Blake rose 46 places and Rowan 41.

Carson has seen the largest increase in the top 100 boys’ names in 2021, rising 42 places to 83rd, while Struan has jumped 37 places and Myles is up by 35.

Director of Statistical Services, Pete Whitehouse said:

“Beneath the headline figures the long term trend is for more names to be used each year, including some names only given to one baby in 2021.

“Almost 12% of baby girls were given a name that no other girl was registered with in 2021. Almost 9% of boys had unique names for births last year. Together with the growing range of names being used this means it’s far less common for children to share their name with their classmates than it was for their parents or grandparents.”

With NRS running this year’s census Pete Whitehouse took the opportunity to appeal to parents to take part: 

“I know the parents of young children, particularly those with babies, have busy lives but I ask them to make time to fill in the census form and record their growing families in the census.

“Like registering a birth, filling in the census form is a legal responsibility for every household and provides the Scottish Government, councils, the NHS and many others with data they need to provide services for the whole country from the very youngest to the oldest.”

You can explore the popularity of first names in Scotland over the years with NRS’s interactive app here.

Today, NRS also published a list of the most common surnames in the Birth, Marriage and Death registers for 2021.  Smith, Brown, and Wilson have been the three most popular surnames since the first list, which is for 1975, and remained the top three in 2021.

Babies' First Names, 2021 and the Most Common Surnames in Birth, Marriage and Death registers are available on the NRS website.

Background

National Records of Scotland (NRS) is responsible for producing statistics of Scotland’s population, including the numbers of births, marriages and civil partnerships, and deaths from various causes.  

Full lists of babies’ first names for Scotland for 2021 are available via this page of the NRS website.

Information about how the top names have changed (including, for example, the top names year by year, and the top names in each decade) and about names which were given to babies of both sexes, is available via this page.

NRS’s baby names app enables anyone to explore the rises and falls in the popularity of particular names since 1974.

Most common surnames in the Birth, Marriage and Death registers for 2021 are available via this page.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.  General information about NRS’s statistics can be found in the About our Statistics section of its website.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Susie Rose
NRS Communications
Tel: 07500-463-452 
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]

People who have not yet filled in their census are reminded it is their legal responsibility to do so and are being encouraged to get help if they need it.

Those who don’t fill in the census by 1 May, may face prosecution, which could lead to a criminal record and a fine.

National Records of Scotland Chief Executive Paul Lowe said:

“Taking part in the census is a legal responsibility. The census provides vital information required to invest in and run the services we all rely on.

“It’s not just the public sector; charities and businesses use census data to help them make decisions. By answering questions about yourself, your home and your household you are having your say on what services are needed in your community.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has filled in their census. For anyone who has yet to complete it, help and support is available on the website census.gov.scot or via a free helpline on 0800 030 8308.

“Guidance is available for every question in English and 16 other languages on the website. An interpretation service covering most languages can be accessed by calling 0800 030 8333. You can also request copies of the guidance in Braille, large print or on audio CD or USB. There are guidance videos in British Sign Language on the key pages of the website and a video relay service offered by contactscotland-bsl.org can be used by BSL users to access advice from the helpline.”

Anyone who can’t complete the census on their own can ask someone they trust over 16 years old for help.

Reminder letters have been sent to every household in the country who is yet to complete the census and field staff are visiting addresses that haven’t completed their return to offer advice and support.

If you need more information visit the census website www.census.gov.scot or call the free Scotland’s Census helpline on 0800 030 8308.

The number of people in Scotland registered to vote by post increased by 38% since December 2020, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The figures show that for UK Parliament elections 23.1% are now registered to vote by post. A similar increase in registrations for postal ballots in Scottish Parliament and council elections puts that figure at 22.5% ahead of May’s vote.

Today’s figures also show:

77,600 young people aged 16 or 17 were registered to vote at Scottish Parliament and local government elections. This increase of 4,300 (5.9%) means young people now account for 1.8% of Scotland’s electorate. While 16 and 17 year olds can vote in the Scottish Parliament and Council elections, the minimum voting age for UK elections is still 18.

The number of registered voters for Scottish Parliament and local government elections was 4,245,200. This is an increase of 36,300 (0.9%) on the previous year.

The number of registered voters in Scotland for UK Parliamentary elections was 4,028,700. This is an increase of 16,300 (0.4%) on the previous year.

There were 172,100 foreign nationals registered to vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections. This represented 4.1% of the total electorate. This is an increase of 14,700 (9.4%) on the previous year.

Sandy Taylor, Head of Electoral Statistics said:

“In December 2021, nearly a million people in Scotland, around 23% of the electorate, were registered to vote by post.

“This 38% increase in postal voters over the last year is most likely driven by the COVID pandemic.”

The full publication “Electoral Statistics for Scotland, as at 1 December 2021” is available on the NRS website.

Background

The corresponding electoral statistics for the whole of the UK is scheduled for publication by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 05 April 2022. That publication, which will include figures for Scotland supplied by NRS, will be available on the ONS website.

Resident EU and other foreign nationals (apart from citizens of the Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens) do not have the right to vote in UK Parliament elections, but can vote in Scottish Parliament and Local Government Elections. The electoral franchise for these elections was extended, with effect from 1 April 2020,  from EU citizens to other qualifying foreign nationals resident in Scotland by the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Act 2020.

The data source used to produce electoral statistics holds limited information about voter age and no information about the sex of registered voters.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775 027 380
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]

New statistics from the National Records of Scotland help us understand the changing population of our settlements and localities.

Published today, the report “Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland, Mid-2020” gives population statistics for the built-up areas of 500 people or more across Scotland.

Information from this report helps give greater understanding of the population of local communities and informs government policy and legislation.

The key points of the report are:

91% of Scotland’s population lived in settlements and localities, which accounted for 2.3% of Scotland’s total land area.

There were 514 settlements in Scotland in mid-2020. This is 5 fewer than in 2016, due to some settlements merging or falling below the threshold of 500 people.

The population of Scotland living in settlements was 4,974,670. The population living outside settlements was 491,330.

The largest settlement in Scotland was Greater Glasgow with a population of 1,028,220. Nearly 1 in 5 people living in Scotland in mid-2020 lived in Greater Glasgow.

Almost all of Glasgow City’s and Dundee City’s population lived in a settlement (99.8% in both). In contrast, less than a third of Na h-Eileanan Siar’s population lived in a settlement (29.4%).

The full publication “Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland, Mid-2020”, together with an infographic, is available on the NRS website.

Background

NRS uses information about postcodes (some 140,000 in Scotland) to define “settlements” and “localities” to approximate built-up areas.

Settlements are defined as groups of adjacent, densely populated postcode areas that have a combined population of 500 people or more.

Some settlements are divided into localities, to reflect the areas that are more easily identifiable as the towns and cities of Scotland.

Statistics from this report feed into the production of the Scottish Government’s Urban Rural Classification which provides a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas across Scotland based on settlement population size and accessibility.

There is more information on settlements and localities on the NRS website.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775-027-380
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]

As at 20 March 2022, 13,684 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

In the week 14 to 20 March, 118 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate. This is the same number of deaths as in the previous week.

55 deaths were male, and 63 were female. 8 deaths were aged under 65, 21 were aged 65-74, and there were 89 deaths in people aged 75 or over.

City of Edinburgh (11 deaths), North Lanarkshire (11 deaths) and Highland (10 deaths) had the highest numbers of deaths at council level. In total, 29 (out of 32) council areas had at least one death last week.

78 deaths were in hospitals, 32 were in care homes and 8 were at home or in a non-institutional setting.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said:

“The latest figures show that last week there were 118 deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. This is the same number of deaths as in the previous week.

“The number of deaths from all causes registered in Scotland in this week was 1,245, which is 8% more than the five year average.”

The publication Deaths involving coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland is available on the NRS website.

Background

After today, 23 March 2022, we will cease publishing weekly news releases and full reports but will continue to update the weekly COVID-19 death information in our data and charts spreadsheet. We will publish a full report and news release on a monthly basis.  In addition, the timing of publication will change to 9.30 am on a Thursday, commencing on Thursday 31 March.

NRS figures include deaths where ‘suspected’ or ‘probable’ COVID-19 appears on the death certificate.

Data are provisional and subject to change in future weekly publications. The 2021 data will be finalised in summer 2022.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775-027-380
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]

More than one million households have already completed Scotland’s Census 2022, ahead of Census Day on Sunday.

These households are making sure their contribution count when it comes to important services in their communities, from health and social care, to transport and education.

It’s essential that everyone in Scotland takes the time to fill in the census to ensure that every household is heard and their needs captured; it’s also a legal responsibility.

Ahead of Census Day, the completed ‘Scotland Connected’ artwork, which set off on a tour of Scotland two weeks ago to be filled in by communities across the nation, has been unveiled today at Discovery Point in Dundee.

The artwork - which represents the fabric of Scotland, its people and the role of the census - was met by Pilar Garcia de Leaniz, the artist who designed it, and Registrar General and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland (NRS), Paul Lowe.

Paul Lowe said:

“To reach one million completed returns, ahead of Census Day on 20 March, is an amazing milestone. I want to thank everyone who has participated so far. I am delighted to see such a terrific response from the people of Scotland.

“The census only happens every ten years and its results will be important for generations to come. By taking a few minutes to answer questions about yourself, your household, and the place where you live, everyone plays a vital role in helping shape important services in your community, from the building of new schools and hospitals to improving transport links and understanding health needs.

“These one million households have ensured their voices have been heard. Make sure yours is too. It’s quick and easy to complete online, with paper forms available for those who need them. Help and support is available on our website census.gov.scot or via our free helpline 0800 030 8308.”

Pilar de Garcia Leaniz added:

“It's been great to see communities across the nation fill in the ‘Scotland Connected’ artwork and bring it to life. It’s inspired by the people of Scotland as well as the role of the census.

“I'm proud to have been part of this exciting project and hope it will continue to help encourage the nation to fill in the census by Census Day on 20 March".

Census Day is 20 March but households have been able to complete their return since 28 February. Responses should reflect their circumstances on Census Day itself.

The census asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status. New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status.

Census letters have been issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people.

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of World War Two and in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For more information and to complete the census online, visit census.gov.scot

As at 13 March 2022, 13,563 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

In the week 7 to 13 March, 117 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, an increase of six deaths from the previous week.

90 deaths were aged 75 or older, 17 were aged 65 to 74, and 10 were under 65. 50 were female and 67 were male.

There were 14 deaths in City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City, and 11 in Highland. In total, 27 council areas (out of 32) had at least one death involving COVID-19 last week.

74 were in hospitals, 36 were in care homes and seven were at home or in a non-institutional setting.

Our monthly analysis shows that the age-standardised rate of COVID-related deaths was lower in February 2022 (82 per 100,000) compared to January 2022 (116 per 100,000) Throughout the pandemic, the highest rate of COVID-related deaths was 585 per 100,000 people in April 2020.

Of the 13,421 deaths involving COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2022, 93% (12,455) had at least one pre-existing condition, with the most common being dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said:

“The latest figures show that last week there were 117 deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. This is six more deaths than the previous week.

“The number of deaths from all causes registered in Scotland in this week was 1,207, which is 12, or 1%, fewer than the five year average.”

There have been nine deaths in Scotland in which the underlying cause of death was due to the adverse effects of vaccination against COVID-19, and two further deaths where an adverse effect was mentioned on the death certificate. This is an increase of three from the figure reported last month. By 28 February 2022, statistics from Public Health Scotland state that 4.4 million people had been given at least one vaccine dose.

The publication Deaths involving coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland is available on the NRS website.

Background

After 23 March we will cease publishing weekly news releases and full reports but will continue to update the weekly COVID-19 death information in our data and charts spreadsheet. We will publish a full report and news release on a monthly basis.  In addition, the timing of publication will change to  9.30 am on a Thursday,  commencing on Thursday 31 March.

NRS figures include deaths where ‘suspected’ or ‘probable’ COVID-19 appears on the death certificate.

Data are provisional and subject to change in future weekly publications. The 2021 data will be finalised in summer 2022.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775 027 380
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]