What is the future of Scotland's populations?

Past event: 27th April 2022

National Records of Scotland recently published new figures which show Scotland’s population increasing slightly over the next few years, before starting to fall. These are the first projections for a number of years that show Scotland’s population falling during the next decade. They also project that by 2045 there will be around 200,000 fewer children (a fall of 22%) and around 300,000 more people over 65 (an increase of 30%). These are important figures which have profound implications for Scotland.

DHI were joined by Dr Esther Roughsedge, Head of Population and Migration Statistics at National Records of Scotland, and Professor Michael Anderson of the University of Edinburgh to give an overview of what the figures show and to discuss their implications. They also discussed the nature of the uncertainty around producing projections during these changing times.