Census Scotland: Population estimate for Scotland and number of residents aged over 65 released

The results for Scotland’s latest census, in which there was a final response rate of 90 per cent, have been released

Scotland’s population was estimated to be 5,436,600 on Census Day on March 20, 2022, according to new data released today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

This is the largest population ever recorded by Scotland’s census and is part of the first set of statistics from last year’s census.

The data showed the population of Scotland grew by 141,200 (2.7 per cent) since the previous census in 2011.

This is a slower rate of growth than between 2001 and 2011, when the population grew by 233,400 (4.6 per cent).

Without migration the population of Scotland would have decreased by around 49,800 since 2011.

The data also highlights Scotland’s ageing population, with more than one million people aged 65 and over (1,091,000).