SCOTLAND'S population has reached a record high of 5,254,800 and is expected to hit 5.45million by 2020, 5.76m by 2035 and 6.2m by 2085.
The vast majority of last year's increase came from immigration, with 86,000 people coming in and 57,700 leaving.
Registrar General George Mr MacKenzie said that immigration is good for Scotland, demographically, because more economically active young people are needed to support the health and social needs of an ageing population.
The number of immigrants from the rest of the UK was 43,700 and there were 42,000 from overseas. Some 16,900 people left Scotland for overseas and 40,800 left for other parts of the UK.
Mr MacKenzie said: "For a great part of the 20th century people were leaving Scotland but it's only when you get to the 1990s that the number of people coming into Scotland is higher than the number of people leaving.
"That number has jumped up quite dramatically and this year represents the highest migration that we have had over the last few years; particularly from other EU states, particularly from new-entrant states, particularly Poland."
Kirsty MacLachlan, head of the General Register Office's demography division, said work is being done externally which counters the argument among some that "immigrants are coming to the UK for benefits".
Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said he believed the flow of migration would have little effect on the independence vote as the figures were not significant enough.
The Annual Review of Demographic Trends also shows that last year Scotland recorded the lowest number of deaths since registration began in 1855.
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