Council Areas
The population of the council areas of Scotland according to census results and latest official estimates.
| Name | Abbr. | Status | Capital | Area A (km²) | Population Census (C) 1991-04-05 | Population Census (C) 2001-04-29 | Population Census (C) 2011-03-27 | Population Census (C) 2022-03-20 | Population Estimate (E) 2024-06-30 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | ADC | CcA | Aberdeen | 186 | 204,885 | 212,125 | 222,793 | 224,021 | 231,780 | 18600 | → |
| Aberdeenshire | ADS | CcA | Aberdeen | 6,313 | 215,387 | 226,871 | 252,973 | 263,723 | 265,080 | 631300 | → |
| Angus | AGS | CcA | Forfar | 2,182 | 107,866 | 108,400 | 115,978 | 114,342 | 114,810 | 218200 | → |
| Argyll and Bute | ARG | CcA | Lochgilphead | 6,909 | 92,025 | 91,306 | 88,166 | 85,970 | 87,690 | 690900 | → |
| City of Edinburgh | CEB | CcA | Edinburgh | 264 | 418,748 | 448,624 | 476,626 | 514,543 | 530,680 | 26400 | → |
| Clackmannanshire | CMS | CcA | Alloa | 159 | 47,679 | 48,077 | 51,442 | 51,778 | 52,110 | 15900 | → |
| Dumfries and Galloway | DUM | CcA | Dumfries | 6,426 | 147,805 | 147,765 | 151,324 | 145,895 | 145,860 | 642600 | → |
| Dundee City | DDC | CcA | Dundee | 60 | 149,751 | 145,663 | 147,268 | 148,697 | 149,880 | 6000 | → |
| East Ayrshire | EAY | CcA | Kilmarnock | 1,262 | 122,455 | 120,235 | 122,767 | 120,324 | 121,480 | 126200 | → |
| East Dunbartonshire | EDB | CcA | Kirkintilloch | 175 | 109,400 | 108,243 | 105,026 | 108,937 | 109,970 | 17500 | → |
| East Lothian | ELT | CcA | Haddington | 679 | 84,114 | 90,088 | 99,717 | 112,284 | 115,180 | 67900 | → |
| East Renfrewshire | ERF | CcA | Giffnock | 174 | 85,344 | 89,311 | 90,574 | 96,817 | 99,830 | 17400 | → |
| Falkirk | FAL | CcA | Falkirk | 297 | 141,145 | 145,191 | 155,990 | 158,404 | 160,020 | 29700 | → |
| Fife | FIF | CcA | Glenrothes | 1,325 | 341,199 | 349,429 | 365,198 | 371,781 | 374,760 | 132500 | → |
| Glasgow City | GLC | CcA | Glasgow | 175 | 606,651 | 577,869 | 593,245 | 620,756 | 650,300 | 17500 | → |
| Highland | HIG | CcA | Inverness | 25,659 | 204,004 | 208,914 | 232,132 | 235,351 | 237,290 | 2565900 | → |
| Inverclyde | INV | CcA | Greenock | 160 | 90,103 | 84,203 | 81,485 | 78,426 | 78,880 | 16000 | → |
| Midlothian | MLT | CcA | Dalkeith | 354 | 79,011 | 80,941 | 83,187 | 96,527 | 99,880 | 35400 | → |
| Moray | MOR | CcA | Elgin | 2,238 | 83,616 | 86,940 | 93,295 | 93,293 | 95,010 | 223800 | → |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar [Outer Hebrides] | EIS | CcA | Steòrnabhagh | 3,071 | 29,600 | 26,502 | 27,684 | 26,140 | 26,020 | 307100 | → |
| North Ayrshire | NAY | CcA | Irvine | 885 | 136,875 | 135,817 | 138,146 | 133,413 | 134,010 | 88500 | → |
| North Lanarkshire | NLN | CcA | Motherwell | 470 | 323,826 | 321,067 | 337,727 | 340,973 | 344,540 | 47000 | → |
| Orkney Islands | ORK | CcA | Kirkwall | 990 | 19,612 | 19,245 | 21,349 | 21,958 | 22,020 | 99000 | → |
| Perth and Kinross | PER | CcA | Perth | 5,286 | 126,231 | 134,949 | 146,652 | 150,953 | 154,420 | 528600 | → |
| Renfrewshire | REN | CcA | Paisley | 261 | 173,212 | 172,867 | 174,908 | 183,874 | 189,170 | 26100 | → |
| Scottish Borders | SBO | CcA | Newtown St Boswells | 4,732 | 103,881 | 106,764 | 113,870 | 116,821 | 116,980 | 473200 | → |
| Shetland Islands | SHE | CcA | Lerwick | 1,466 | 22,522 | 21,988 | 23,167 | 22,986 | 23,190 | 146600 | → |
| South Ayrshire | SAY | CcA | Ayr | 1,222 | 112,658 | 112,097 | 112,799 | 111,519 | 112,260 | 122200 | → |
| South Lanarkshire | SLN | CcA | Hamilton | 1,772 | 300,152 | 302,216 | 313,830 | 327,056 | 334,030 | 177200 | → |
| Stirling | STI | CcA | Stirling | 2,187 | 78,833 | 86,212 | 90,247 | 92,604 | 94,210 | 218700 | → |
| West Dunbartonshire | WDB | CcA | Dumbarton | 159 | 96,005 | 93,378 | 90,720 | 88,399 | 89,120 | 15900 | → |
| West Lothian | WLT | CcA | Livingston | 427 | 143,972 | 158,714 | 175,118 | 181,278 | 186,440 | 42700 | → |
| Scotland | SCO | Cntry | Edinburgh | 77,925 | 4,998,567 | 5,062,011 | 5,295,403 | 5,439,842 | 5,546,900 | 7792500 | → |
| United Kingdom | GBR | Kingd | London | 242,500 | 56,466,680 | 58,789,194 | 63,182,178 | 67,596,000 | 69,281,437 | → |
- National Records of Scotland.
Major Cities
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (C) 2022-03-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glasgow | GLC | 617,794 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | CEB | 493,736 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | ADC | 192,956 |
| 4 | Dundee | DDC | 147,345 |
| 5 | Paisley | REN | 79,369 |
| 6 | East Kilbride | SLN | 76,607 |
| 7 | Dunfermline | FIF | 56,027 |
| 8 | Livingston | WLT | 55,836 |
| 9 | Hamilton | SLN | 55,157 |
| 10 | Kirkcaldy | FIF | 51,117 |
| 11 | Cumbernauld | NLN | 50,498 |
Contents: Cities & Towns
The population of all Scottish cities and towns (localities) with more than 15,000 inhabitants according to census results.
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (C) 1991-04-05 | Population Census (C) 2001-04-29 | Population Census (C) 2011-03-27 | Population Census (C) 2022-03-20 | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | ADC | 182,133 | 185,560 | 195,453 | 192,956 | 6270 | → |
| Airdrie | NLN | 36,842 | 36,330 | 37,132 | 35,846 | 1065 | → |
| Alloa | CMS | ... | 12,930 | 14,132 | 14,705 | 597 | → |
| Arbroath | AGS | 23,680 | 23,270 | 24,393 | 23,481 | 910 | → |
| Ayr | SAY | 47,962 | 46,080 | 46,339 | 46,182 | 1931 | → |
| Barrhead | ERF | 16,753 | 17,560 | 17,443 | 17,586 | 600 | → |
| Bathgate | WLT | 14,052 | 15,450 | 20,514 | 22,222 | 938 | → |
| Bearsden | EDB | 27,707 | 27,670 | 27,237 | 28,486 | 964 | → |
| Bellshill | NLN | 21,624 | 20,910 | 20,774 | 19,500 | 574 | → |
| Bishopbriggs | EDB | 23,825 | 23,430 | 22,870 | 23,753 | 723 | → |
| Blantyre | SLN | 18,584 | 17,210 | 17,240 | 16,538 | 530 | → |
| Bo'ness | FAL | 14,397 | 14,250 | 15,098 | 14,885 | 687 | → |
| Bonnyrigg | MLT | 13,534 | 14,540 | 15,971 | 18,094 | 520 | → |
| Broxburn | WLT | 11,626 | 13,110 | 15,375 | 15,418 | 546 | → |
| Cambuslang | SLN | ... | 21,960 | 27,185 | 33,252 | 1121 | → |
| Clydebank | WDB | ... | 27,750 | 26,744 | 26,221 | 903 | → |
| Coatbridge | NLN | 43,617 | 40,950 | 43,841 | 42,264 | 1326 | → |
| Cumbernauld | NLN | 49,507 | 51,670 | 51,839 | 50,498 | 2306 | → |
| Dalkeith | MLT | ... | 11,100 | 11,823 | 15,146 | 461 | → |
| Dumbarton | WDB | 21,797 | 20,870 | 20,035 | 21,036 | 745 | → |
| Dumfries | DUM | 31,936 | 31,560 | 33,009 | 33,676 | 1401 | → |
| Dundee | DDC | ... | 145,560 | 147,389 | 147,345 | 4785 | → |
| Dunfermline | FIF | 39,068 | 41,580 | 49,776 | 56,027 | 2075 | → |
| East Kilbride | SLN | 70,579 | 73,990 | 74,396 | 76,607 | 2538 | → |
| Edinburgh | CEB | 400,632 | 431,230 | 459,633 | 493,736 | 12378 | → |
| Elgin | MOR | 19,338 | 21,160 | 23,128 | 24,640 | 1006 | → |
| Erskine | REN | 13,102 | 15,810 | 15,955 | 14,880 | 649 | → |
| Falkirk | FAL | 31,399 | 32,390 | 35,398 | 34,627 | 1550 | → |
| Forfar | AGS | 12,832 | 13,410 | 14,048 | 13,801 | 592 | → |
| Giffnock | ERF | ... | 12,250 | 12,156 | 11,964 | 386 | → |
| Glasgow | GLC | ... | 575,180 | 590,578 | 617,794 | 14847 | → |
| Glenrothes | FIF | 38,320 | 39,300 | 39,277 | 37,468 | 2116 | → |
| Grangemouth | FAL | 18,528 | 17,580 | 17,373 | 16,016 | 1208 | → |
| Greenock | INV | 49,267 | 46,020 | 44,075 | 42,866 | 1251 | → |
| Haddington | ELT | 8,844 | 9,010 | 9,129 | 11,354 | 368 | → |
| Hamilton | SLN | 49,988 | 48,970 | 53,284 | 55,157 | 1929 | → |
| Inverness | HIG | 40,918 | 41,170 | 46,536 | 48,248 | 2414 | → |
| Inverurie | ADS | 9,567 | 11,200 | 12,654 | 15,106 | 747 | → |
| Irvine | NAY | 33,406 | 34,260 | 34,102 | 33,998 | 1944 | → |
| Johnstone | REN | 18,280 | 16,760 | 16,824 | 16,491 | 480 | → |
| Kilmarnock | EAY | 44,207 | 44,290 | 46,159 | 47,064 | 1637 | → |
| Kilwinning | NAY | 15,317 | 16,020 | 16,599 | 16,211 | 630 | → |
| Kirkcaldy | FIF | 47,274 | 47,380 | 49,709 | 51,117 | 1998 | → |
| Kirkintilloch | EDB | 20,624 | 20,530 | 19,689 | 22,037 | 686 | → |
| Kirkwall | ORK | 6,095 | 6,700 | 7,193 | 7,390 | 447 | → |
| Larkhall | SLN | 15,573 | 15,540 | 15,019 | 15,308 | 649 | → |
| Lerwick | SHE | 7,336 | 6,910 | 6,958 | 6,709 | 534 | → |
| Livingston | WLT | 42,178 | 52,000 | 56,323 | 55,836 | 2836 | → |
| Lochgilphead | ARG | 2,421 | 2,300 | 2,392 | 2,488 | 212 | → |
| Motherwell | NLN | 30,769 | 30,320 | 31,906 | 33,031 | 1071 | → |
| Musselburgh | ELT | 20,261 | 19,990 | 19,475 | 21,479 | 649 | → |
| Newton Mearns | ERF | 19,342 | 23,190 | 24,372 | 28,456 | 966 | → |
| Newtown St Boswells | SBO | 1,108 | 1,240 | 1,279 | 1,662 | 146 | → |
| Paisley | REN | 73,925 | 75,500 | 76,834 | 79,369 | 2625 | → |
| Penicuik | MLT | 15,661 | 16,170 | 15,926 | 16,409 | 530 | → |
| Perth | PER | 41,724 | 43,960 | 47,268 | 47,893 | 1948 | → |
| Peterhead | ADS | 18,413 | 18,100 | 18,639 | 19,791 | 867 | → |
| Port Glasgow | INV | ... | 16,730 | 15,414 | 14,288 | 489 | → |
| Prestwick | SAY | 13,449 | 15,680 | 15,411 | 14,570 | 622 | → |
| Renfrew | REN | 20,764 | 20,530 | 21,854 | 23,809 | 703 | → |
| Rutherglen | SLN | ... | 33,100 | 31,401 | 31,195 | 832 | → |
| St Andrews | FIF | 11,136 | 14,340 | 16,870 | 16,460 | 506 | → |
| Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway) | EIS | 5,975 | 5,330 | 5,218 | 4,578 | 398 | → |
| Stirling | STI | 29,768 | 33,520 | 36,142 | 38,587 | 1773 | → |
| Troon | SAY | 14,094 | 15,030 | 14,752 | 15,261 | 640 | → |
| Viewpark | NLN | 15,044 | 15,840 | 16,163 | 15,831 | 666 | → |
| Wishaw | NLN | 29,574 | 28,690 | 30,391 | 30,211 | 883 | → |
- Localities according to their definition of 2022. 2001 and 2011 figures are calculated by »City Population« using the population of output areas.
- National Records of Scotland.