Mid-2023 Population Estimates Scotland

Last update: 8 October 2024
Next update: TBC

	Report (PDF 2.89 MB)		Charts
	News Release		Data
	Methodology (PDF 305 KB)		Metadata            (PDF 102 KB)

Key Findings:

Scotland’s population was estimated to be 5,490,100 at mid-2023 (30 June 2023).

• The population increased by 43,100 (0.8%) in the year to mid-2023. This is the largest single-year increase in Scotland’s population in at least 76 years .
• Migration was the main driver of population growth over the last year. Net international migration was +47,700 in the year to mid-2023. Net migration between elsewhere in the UK and Scotland was +13,900. 
• The number of deaths registered in Scotland was greater than the number of births,  and the difference is getting wider each year.
• Scotland’s population is ageing. An estimated 20.3% of the population were aged 65 and over, an increase from 16.1% in 2003. An estimated 16.3% were aged 0 to 15 years, a decrease from 18.7% in 2003. 
• The populations of the larger cities have grown the most between mid-2022 and mid-2023. City of Edinburgh grew by 1.7% (8,680 people), Glasgow City by 1.6% (9,920 people) and Aberdeen City by 1.6% (3,500 people). In contrast, the populations of a number of rural and island council areas have fallen in the year to mid-2023.
• In the year to mid-2023, net migration was positive in all of Scotland’s 32 council areas. In contrast, natural change (births minus deaths) was negative in all council areas.
• These estimates reflect a revision to the mid-2022 population estimates (published on 8 October 2024) which saw the estimated population of Scotland decrease by 700 people or 0.01% from the figure originally published. The rebased population estimates for mid-2011 to mid-2021 will be updated to account for this in due course. 
   

Mid-2023 population estimates for the UK

Mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries, by administrative area, age and sex are published by the Office for National Statistics . They incorporate these mid-2023 population estimates for Scotland.

Open Data

The mid-2023 population estimates will be available as open data later in 2024 , on the statistics.gov.scot website.

Contact Us

Please get in touch if you need any further information, or have any suggestions for improvement.

E-mail: [email protected]

Lead Statistician: Andrew White

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