Scotland’s population will reach 5.54 million from the current 5.17 million by 2033, according to official projections.
While the overall population is set to rise by 7%, the largest increase by far is among the elderly who are set to reach 720,000 -- an increase of 84%.
As The Herald showed in our Past Caring campaign, this brings huge implications for public spending policymakers regarding care of older people.
Douglas McLellan, of Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland, said: "We have, for some time, been highlighting the need for policymakers to recognise the challenges and opportunities that will arise from an ageing population.
"Lord Sutherland recommended that the Scottish Government include older people when forming policy, but despite agreeing to this 18 months ago, Nicola Sturgeon has failed to do so."
Ronnie McColl, of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said: "We recognise that a growing number of older people will need to access our health and social care services.
"We are also addressing difficult questions about the way social care is funded. We need to get the balance right between private and public funding, and we need to reflect on whether the current suite of support options offered to older people is affordable into the future."
The figures from Scotland’s registrar general show that in as few as three years we could outstrip the record population of 5.25 million from 1974.
Unveiling the figures yesterday, Registrar General Duncan Macniven said: "These latest projections suggest a bigger rise in Scotland’s population than we expected when we published our last forecast only two years ago."
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