This statistical report provides population estimates for Scotland, its council areas and NHS boards, by sex and age.

Scotland’s Census was carried out in March 2022. The census results are available on the Scotland’s Census website, along with analysis of the changes over time.

During the years between each census, NRS produces annual population estimates. They are based on the previous census, and adjusted each year to account for births, deaths and migration. Over time, these estimates gradually drift from the actual population counts until the next census is conducted. This ‘drift’ is anticipated, and it is standard procedure to revise the annual population estimates once census data becomes available. This is the first set of mid-year population estimates to incorporate the new data from Scotland’s Census 2022.

NRS will now begin the rebasing exercise to revise the annual mid-year population estimates for 2011 to 2021. It will not be possible to make comparisons between the 2022 mid-year population estimates and previous figures until these revisions have been made. Therefore, this document will only compare population changes between Census Day (20 March 2022) and the population as at 30 June 2022.

NRS has also published a ‘reconciliation report’ to identify the differences between the census and the annual population estimates, and to consider reasons for these differences.