Population of Scotland hits record high mark

Migration to Scotland has helped the country’s population reach a new record high of over 5.546 million.

- KATRINE BUSSEY, PA SCOTLAND

Statistics from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) reveal the number of people living in Scotland first passed the 5.5 million mark in 2023.

The population then increased by 40,900 (0.7 per cent) between mid-2023 and mid-2024, with NRS experts saying this growth was “higher than the average for the previous 20 years”.

NRS estimates that, on June 30, 2024, there were 5,546,900 people living in Scotland, with a report stating: “This is the highest Scotland's population has ever been.”