Scotland’s population passed the 5.5 million mark for the first time in the year to June 2023, according to revised figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Releasing the latest figures for the year to June 2024, NRS said the country’s population was now estimated to be 5,546,900.

“The population grew by 0.7% or 40,900 people in a year,” said NRS. “Deaths outnumbered births in all but one of Scotland’s 32 council areas. The population growth was largely driven by more people moving to Scotland than leaving. The population grew in most council areas, and it fell in five council areas.”

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.”

NRS said the change to the mid-year population estimate for 2023 reflects the methodology used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to calculate long-term international migration.

“It is routine for ONS to revise its long-term international migration estimates over time as more data become available,” said NRS.

“The estimated population of Scotland in mid-2023 was 5,506,000, putting it over five and a half million for the first time.”