Mid-Year Population Estimates Scotland

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

These statistics take into account changes in the population from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. This means the entire year covered in this publication was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has impacted the number of deaths across Scotland and affected movement within the UK and internationally.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted some of the data sources which feed into the population estimates.

Main points

• Scotland’s population was estimated to be 5,479,900 at mid-2021 (30 June 2021).
• The population increased by 13,900 people (0.25%) in the year to mid-2021. The average annual growth in the 5 years before the pandemic was higher than this, at around 23,100 people (0.43%).
• There have been more deaths than births for the last seven years. In the latest year, deaths outnumbered births by the largest amount on record
• Migration was the main driver of population growth over the latest year. More people moved to Scotland than left, as has been the case for the last two decades.
• The pattern of population change was different to previous years. In the latest year, the population of the largest cities fell, which was a change from growth in previous years. The greatest population growth was in council areas around Edinburgh. In addition, many rural areas which previously had falling populations saw an increase in population over the latest year.