Region’s population revealed

NEW figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS) have revealed some interesting insights into the population of Dumfries and Galloway.

As Scotland’s population surpasses the 5.5 million mark for the first time, the latest figures from June 2023 to June 2024 break down the record-breaking figure by council area.

In Dumfries and Galloway the total population was 145,860, but the region had one of the lowest percentages of children in Scotland with only 14.8 per cent of region aged between 0 to 15 years.

This compares to the highest figures, all in areas which border cities - East Renfrewshire 20 per cent, Midlothian 18.8 per cent, and West Lothian 18.4 per cent.

Rural and island areas tended to have an older age profile. The highest percentages of people aged 65 and over were in Dumfries and Galloway 28 per cent, Argyll and Bute 27.7 per cent and the Scottish Borders 27.4 per cent.

Dumfries and Galloway was also one of five council areas to see a decrease in its population between June 2023 to June 2024 of 0.02 per cent, whereas other rural such as South Ayrshire grew by 0.29 per cent during the same time period.

Commenting on the latest figures, Andrew White, head of population and migration statistics at NRS, said:“We can now say that Scotland’s population passed the 5.5 million mark for the first time in 2023. This was driven by people moving to Scotland.

“The population increased further in the year to mid-2024. In every council area, more people moved in than left in the latest figures. Midlothian was the only council area to see more births than deaths in the year to June 2024. It is one of the fastest growing areas of Scotland alongside Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Lothian and West Lothian.

“The areas with declining populations are Argyll and Bute, Angus, Dundee, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and Dumfries and Galloway. These areas haven’t seen enough people moving in to make up for the gap between deaths and births.”