Visual Summary
Compared to 2023, the electorate for both UK Parliamentary elections and for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections increased by 1.0%. This is the highest ever recorded December figure for both electorates.
Figure 1: The number of people registered to vote in Scotland increased in 2024
Note: In 2015 the voting age for the Scottish Parliamantary and local government elections was lowered to 16. The decrease in 2015 was caused by the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER).
Summary of main points
At 1 December 20241
- The total number of people registered at December 2024 to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections was 4,283,300, an increase of 41,400 (1.0%) compared with December 2023 and the highest ever recorded December figure for this electorate;
- 900,800 electors (21.0% of the total electorate) had registered for postal voting in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections.
- of the 4,283,300 people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections, 74,800 (1.7% of the total electorate) were aged 16 or 17;
- 195,400 qualifying foreign nationals resident in Scotland were registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections, 4.6% of the total electorate;
- the number of people registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections was 4,048,800, an increase of 41,600 (1.0%) compared with December 2023 and the highest ever recorded December figure for this electorate;
- 879,000 electors (21.7% of the total electorate) had registered for postal voting in UK Parliamentary elections;
- 12,400 British citizens resident overseas were registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections. This was more than three times the number registered at the previous December, likely driven by people registering for a vote in the July 2024 General Election.
1Data for five Electoral Registration Offices relate to 1 February 2025. See background note, section 30, for further details.
Overview
Why does the electorate change in size?
There are three main reasons:
- The population changes. People move to or from an area. The number of people old enough to vote changes. People die in smaller or greater numbers. Figure 2 shows a generally upward trend between 2014 and 2024 in the number of people registered to vote in elections in Scotland. This is consistent with the small increase of around 4% in the population aged 18 and over in this period.
- More people get interested in politics. This could be because of a significant vote, a specific political campaign or a current social issue.
- The rules on who can vote change. For example, in 2015 Scotland lowered the minimum voting age to 16 for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections.
Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrate trends in the number of registered voters in the context of key election events in the last decade. An increase in registered voters is often seen in the lead-up to elections and referendums, as people register to ensure they can vote. The number can then fall back as Electoral Registration Offices carry out their annual canvas to update the registers. For example, they aim to take account of deaths and changes of address.
Figure 2: The number of people registered to vote in Scotland shows a generally upward trend between 2014 and 2024
Note: From December 2014 to December 2015, the reference point for these statistics was 1 March. All other reference points are 1 December. Two reference points occurred during 2015 and 2020 - March and December for both years. The IER was introduced in September 2014 but the impact would have occurred in September 2015 (start of the new academic year). See background note.
People registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections
The number of registered voters for UK Parliamentary elections in Scotland totalled 4,048,800 at December 2024. This was 41,600 (1.0%) higher than the previous year and the highest ever recorded December figure for this electorate. Much of this increase is likely to reflect the holding of a General Election in July 2024. As noted above it is not uncommon for the number of people registered to vote to rise in periods with significant elections.
Figure 3 Increases between 2014 and 2024 in the number of people registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections generally correlate to the timing of UK General elections
Of the 57 UK parliamentary constituencies in Scotland, 51 recorded an increase and 6 a decrease in their electorate in the year to December 2024.
The largest percentage increases were in:
-
- Edinburgh North and Leith (4.0%)
- Dundee Central (3.2%)
- Edinburgh South (2.9%)
- Edinburgh South West (2.7%).
The largest percentage decreases were in:
-
- Falkirk (2.9%)
- Stirling and Strathallan (2.1%)
- Alloa and Grangemouth (2.0%).
At December 2024, the average number of registered voters per UK parliamentary constituency was 71,000.
The constituencies with the largest electorates were:
-
- Livingston (78,600)
- Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (77,700)
- Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (77,100).
The constituencies with the smallest electorates were:
-
- Na h-Eileanan an Iar (21,100)
- Orkney and Shetland (34,300).
The smallest electorate in a mainland constituency was Glasgow North (65,100).
People registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government elections
The total number of registered voters for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections in Scotland at December 2024 was 4,283,300. This was an increase of 41,400 (1.0%) compared with December 2023 and the highest ever recorded December figure for this electorate.
Figure 4 Increases between 2014 and 2024 in the number of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government elections generally correlate to the timing of parliamentary and local elections
Between December 2023 and December 2024, the local government electorate increased in all but two of the 32 council areas. The largest percentage increase was in Renfrewshire (up by 2.4%). Decreases were recorded in Na h-Eileanan Siar (down by 1.6%) and Highland (down by 1.2%).
The council areas with the highest number of these electors were:
-
- Glasgow City (455,500)
- City of Edinburgh (406,100)
- Fife (289,800).
The council areas with the lowest numbers were:
-
- Shetland Islands (17,700)
- Orkney Islands (17,800)
- Na h-Eileanan Siar (21,500).
At December 2024, the average number of registered voters per Scottish Parliamentary constituency was 58,700. The constituency with the most people registered to vote was Edinburgh Northern and Leith (76,500). The smallest electorate was in Shetland Islands (17,700), with the smallest on the mainland in Argyll and Bute (50,000)2 .
In the year to December 2024, the number of registered voters increased in 52 of the 73 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies.
The largest percentage increases were in:
-
- Edinburgh Northern and Leith (3.1%)
- Almond Valley (2.6%)
- Edinburgh Eastern (2.6%)
- Paisley (2.6%)
- Renfrewshire North and West (2.6%).
The largest percentage decreases were in:
-
- Glasgow Kelvin (2.5%)
- Na h-Eileanan an Iar (1.6%)
- Caithness, Sutherland and Ross (1.2%)
- Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (1.2%).
2 Although it does have areas that are not on the Scottish mainland, the Argyll and Bute constituency is not protected by the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 (PVSaCA). As such, Argyll and Bute was held to the same standards as the rest of the mainland when constituency boundaries were re-drawn. More information on the constituencies is included in the background notes.
Local Government electoral wards
For local government elections, council areas are split into electoral wards. Each ward has between one and five elected councillors. At December 2024, there were 355 electoral wards, with an average of 12,100 registered voters per ward. However, this varied depending on the number of elected members and other local considerations.
One ward (Arran, North Ayrshire) has just one elected member while there are three wards (all in North Ayrshire) with five elected members. For seven wards there are just two elected members. The number of registered voters in these wards ranged from 1,000 in Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh to 1,700 in Sgìre an Rubha (both in Na h-Eileanan Siar).
The 180 three-member wards had 10,300 registered voters on average. This ranged from 1,800 in North Isles (Orkney Islands) up to 20,500 in Leith (City of Edinburgh).
The 164 four-member wards had an average of 14,500 registered voters. This ranged from 2,900 in Lerwick South (Shetland Islands) up to 30,900 in Liberton/ Gilmerton (City of Edinburgh).
16 and 17 year old voters
At December 2024, there were 74,800 people aged 16 or 17 registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections. This was a decrease of 1,300 (1.7%) compared with December 2023. They accounted for 1.7% of the total electorate. The council areas where 16 and 17 year olds made up the highest proportion of the electorate were East Renfrewshire (2.7%), Aberdeenshire (2.5%) and West Lothian (2.5%). This proportion was lowest in North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City and South Lanarkshire (all 1.2%).
Postal voters
At December 2024, a total of 900,800 registered voters for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections (21.0% of the total electorate) had opted for a postal vote. This proportion was slightly lower than the peak of 22.5% recorded in 2021 and 2022 – a period when Covid measures may have influenced peoples’ choices – but markedly higher than the 13.8% recorded in 2014. Registration for postal voting tended to be higher in more rural or remote constituencies.
Foreign national voters
From July 2020, the electoral franchise was extended to all foreign nationals living in Scotland, not just EU and qualifying commonwealth citizens. At December 2024, there were 195,400 foreign nationals3 registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections. This represented 4.6% of the total electorate, and is the highest number ever recorded. It was an increase of 6,000 (3.1%) compared with December 2023. Figure 5 shows the upward trend from 2014.
3 Citizens of the Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK are entitled to vote in all parliamentary and local government elections in the UK, and are not included as ‘foreign nationals’ in these statistics.
Figure 5: The number of foreign nationals registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections increased over the period 2014 to 2024
Note: Two reference points occurred during 2015 and 2020 - March and December for both years. The extension of the electorate franchise to qualifying residents from all countries following the implementation of the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Act 2020 was introduced in April 2020.
The council areas with the highest proportion of foreign nationals in the electorate at December 2024 were:
-
- City of Edinburgh (11.2%)
- Aberdeen City (10.3%)
- Glasgow City (6.9%).
The council areas with the lowest proportion of foreign nationals in the electorate at December 2024 were:
-
- East Ayrshire (1.4%)
- North Ayrshire (1.4%)
- Inverclyde (1.5%)
- South Ayrshire (1.5%).
Figure 6, shows the constituencies with the highest and lowest proportion of foreign nationals. The constituencies with the highest proportion of foreign nationals are found in councils with large numbers of students such as Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. Whilst, the constituencies with the lowest proportion of foreign nationals are found in more rural areas and some urban areas outside the main cities such as Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire.
Figure 6: Foreign nationals account for 4.6% of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections
Overseas voters
At December 2024, a total of 12,400 British citizens resident overseas were registered voters for UK Parliamentary elections, 0.3% of the total electorate. This was more than three times the corresponding number of such voters registered at December 2023.
The number of such voters tends to be higher in years where there is a referendum or general election. The increase between December 2023 and December 2024 is therefore likely to have been driven by people registering for a vote in the July 2024 General Election.
Opted out voters
There are two versions of the electoral register – the full register and the ‘open register’. The full register is used only for elections. It can also be used in certain specified circumstances, for example preventing and detecting crime. The open register is available to anyone who wants to buy a copy, for example marketing companies. Electors can opt out of the open register. At December 2014 around a quarter of registered voters had opted out of the open register. Since then, this proportion has risen each year. By December 2024 it had reached a high of 63%. Figure 7 illustrates this upward trend.
Figure 7: The percentage of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections opting out of the full register increased slightly each year from 2014 to 2024
Note: Two reference points occurred during 2015 and 2020 - March and December for both years.
Service voters
At December 2024, the number of service voters registered to vote in Parliamentary and local elections in Scotland was under 800. This represented just 0.02% of the total electorate and was the smallest number recorded in the last decade.
Anonymous voters
Anonymous registration is available to electors whose safety would be at risk if their name or address were listed on the electoral register. The number of anonymous registered voters in Scotland is small. Table 1 shows the trend from 2014 to 2024. At December 2024, there were 155 such people on the electoral register for UK Parliamentary elections. The corresponding number on the electoral register for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections was 163.
Table 1: Total number of anonymous voters, 2017 to 2024
| People registered to vote |
Dec 2017 |
Dec 2018 |
Mar 2019 |
Dec 2020 |
Dec 2020 |
Dec 2021 |
Dec 2022 |
Dec 2023 |
Dec 2024 |
| UK Parliamentary elections |
116 |
130 |
194 |
215 |
188 |
176 |
178 |
147 |
155 |
| Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections |
127 |
137 |
207 |
223 |
193 |
186 |
186 |
159 |
163 |
Links to related statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish electoral statistics for each of the UK countries. These are available in the electoral registration section of the ONS website. The next ONS publication, Electoral Statistics, UK: 2024 is due for publication later in 2025.
Accredited Official Statistics
The designation of these statistics as Accredited Official Statistics was confirmed in May 2011 by the Office for Statistics Regulation. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.
In June 2024 the Office for Statistics Regulation introduced the new accredited official statistics badge, to denote official statistics that have been independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) and judged to meet the standards in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The new badge replaces the current National Statistics badge, though the meaning is the same. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
It is National Records of Scotland’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of accredited official statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Office for Statistics Regulation promptly. Accredited official statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
Information on background and source data
Further details on data sources, timeframe of data and timeliness, continuity of data, accuracy, etc can be found in the About this Publication document that is available linked to this publication on the NRS website.
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