Migration to Scotland has resulted in the country’s population reaching a record high of more than 5.4 million.
New data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed that on June 30 2019, there were 5,463,300 people living in the country – the highest total ever and a rise of 25,200 on the previous year.
READ MORE: Scotland’s population hits record high
But the figures also reveal an increasingly elderly population, with almost one-fifth of people (19 per cent) aged 65 or over.
Over the last three decades, the number of people in this age group has increased by 280,800 – a rise of 37% – while at the same time the number aged 15 or less has decreased by 99,400, a fall of 10%.
All 32 Scottish council areas have seen the number of residents aged 65 and above increase over the last decade, with West Lothian experiencing a rise of 34%, Clackmannanshire 33% and the Orkney Islands 32%.
NRS stressed the figures relate to the population as it was on June 30 last year, and as a result “do not take into account recent changes since then”, such as the impact of coronavirus.
As Scotland saw a higher number of deaths than births in the 12 months to the end of June last year, there was “no natural growth” in population, NRS said.
Over that period there were 5,600 more deaths than births, the statistics show.
There were 50,600 births during the 12 months – 1,600 less than the previous year.
There were 56,200 deaths over the same period, 3,700 fewer than the year before.
An NRS spokesperson said: “Over the five years ending mid-2019, there were more deaths than births every year.
“This is due to an overall increase in the number of deaths over the last decade, as well as a decrease in the number of births every year since mid-2009.”
With more deaths than births, population growth came instead from an increase in the number of people moving to live in Scotland.
A total of 87,400 people moved to Scotland in the year to June 30, 2019, including 39,900 who came from overseas.
The report said: “Scotland’s population growth is driven by migration with 30,200 more people moving to Scotland than leaving in the year to mid-2019; 20,200 from overseas and 10,000 from the rest of the UK.
“Overall, net migration was 9,300 higher than the previous year due to more people moving from overseas and fewer people leaving for overseas.”
While population grew in three-quarters of council areas – 24 out of 32 – it fell in eight areas.
The City of Edinburgh Council area, as well as East Lothian and Midlothian, all recorded population rises of 1.2%.
But the number of people living in Argyll and Bute fell 0.5%, with drops of 0.4% recorded in Inverclyde, the Western Isles and North Ayrshire.
The NRS said last year that there will be 240,000 more pensioners by 2043, a 23.2% increase.
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Meanwhile, the working age population is set to fall by 7,000 and life expectancy is projected to increase.
The Scottish Government last October called for immigration powers to be devolved in a bid to safeguard public services.
Scotland’s Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said at the time: “We want people in Scotland to live longer, healthier and happier lives so this projected increase in life expectancy is extremely welcome.
“Our pension age population is projected to grow while our working age population falls, and could decline even further if EU migration is reduced.
“This is why Scotland needs inward migration to support our public services and economy, particularly in sectors like tourism, hospitality, construction and agriculture, but also to enrich and diversify our society.”
The Scottish Government set up a ministerial taskforce to look at Scotland’s future population challenges and develop new solutions to address demographic changes. These include supporting rural settlement and growing the working age population.
Paul Lowe, chief executive of NRS, said while Scotland’s population is projected to continue increasing, it will be at slower rate than it has done in previous years.
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