Background Information

This report gives the mid-2009 Small Area Population Estimates (SAPE) for Scotland. The estimates are consistent with mid-year population estimates for council areas (available at Mid-2009 Population Estimates Scotland).

The tables show the mid-2009 population estimates for data zones, by gender and five-year age groups, with the exception of the range 10-19 which is split into the age groups 10-15 and 16-19. This has been done to allow the creation of the broad age groups children (0-15), working age (16-59/64) and pensionable age (60/65 and over).

The data zone small area population estimates are derived using the cohort-component method where Census-based estimates are updated by ‘ageing on’ populations and applying information on births, deaths and migration. Background information, including a description of the methodology used to produce the small area population estimates is available on the 2001-2004 Small Area Population Estimates section of this website. More information on data zone geography can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Although the figures reported in these tables are given to unit level, it is not implied that the population estimates are accurate to this level of detail. The population figures are estimates that have gone through a number of stages of processing, each of which may impact on the quality of the estimates. In addition, there are limitations with the administrative data sources used to produce the figures which may increase the uncertainty in the estimates.