The estimated population of Scotland on 30 June 2014 was 5,347,600 - the highest ever.

The population of Scotland grew by around 19,900 in the 12 months between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014, an increase of 0.4 per cent.

The increase in the population in the 12 months to 30 June 2014 was mainly due to:

• 17,600 more people coming to Scotland than leaving; and
• 3,500 more births than deaths.

Other changes (including changes in the numbers of armed forces and prisoners) resulted in a net decrease of around 1,200 people.

The age of the population of Scotland was as follows:

• 17 per cent of people were aged under 16
• 65 per cent of people were aged 16 to 64
• 18 per cent of people were aged 65 and over

Scotland’s population has been fairly stable over the past 50 years. It last peaked at 5.24 million in 1974 before falling to 5.06 million in 2000. It then increased each year to achieve the highest estimate so far of 5.35 million in 2014. That increase has mainly been the result of more people moving to Scotland than leaving. However, for the first time in three years, 2014 saw an increase in both net in-migration and natural change compared to the previous year.

2012-based projections (estimates for future years largely based on past trends) suggest that the population of Scotland will rise to 5.78 million by 2037 and that the population will age significantly, with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing by 59 per cent, from 0.93 million to 1.47 million. These projections make no allowance for the future impact of government policies or other factors.