Scotland's population reaches 5.5 million for the first time
The population grew by 40,900 (0.7%) as of mid-June 2024, with migration being the biggest growth driver as the number of deaths in all local authority areas bar Midlothian were greater than the number of births.
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Welcoming the report, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: 'The latest figure demonstrates the continuing appeal of Scotland as an attractive country for people to live, work, study and settle in.
'We welcome people from around the world and other parts of the UK who want to build their lives here, and it is notable that more people have again moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK than have moved the other way.
'Scotland is a fantastic place to live and work, with policies not in place anywhere else in the UK like free tuition, free prescriptions and the Scottish Child Payment. And the majority of taxpayers in Scotland pay less income tax than elsewhere in the UK.'
The NRS report also showed that the number of people in Scotland aged over 65 had increased by 4.3% since 2004, with those aged 0-15 decreasing by 2.2% in the same 20-year period.
The largest cities saw the highest increase in population, with Glasgow taking the top spot at a growth rate of 1.8%.
Only five council areas saw decreases – Argyll and Bute, Dundee City, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway and Na h-Eileanan Siar.
'However, this release also shows that our population growth continues to rely on positive net migration,' Stewart said.
'This shows just how crucial immigration is to ensuring Scotland has a greater proportion of working age people to fill skills gaps, sustain public services, contribute to communities, and grow the economy.
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'To enable us to address our demographic challenges, migration policies must be tailored to Scotland's distinct needs.
"We will continue to press the UK Government to work with us on the introduction of tailored migration routes for Scotland, including a Scottish Graduate Visa, to help us retain capable people from around the world, and to deliver a Rural Visa Pilot tailored to the needs of our rural and island communities.
'Within our devolved powers we have launched Scotland's Migration Service, to help individuals and businesses navigate the immigration system, while our Addressing Depopulation Action Plan is supporting local initiatives to help communities facing population decline.'
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