Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Scotland - Statistics & Facts
Scotland is the second-largest country in the United Kingdom and has a population of approximately 5.49 million. With a population density of just 70 people per square kilometer, Scotland is also the most sparsely populated country in the UK. A large share of the Scottish population lives in the 'Central Belt' area of the country, which includes the major cities of Glasgow, which has a population of 631,970, and the capital city of Edinburgh, with a population of 523,250 people.
Although Scotland has a growing population, birth rates and fertility rate have both been falling for decades.
Scottish politics and Scottish independence
The issue of Scottish independence from the rest of the United Kingdom is a key political issues for the country. Although Scotland voted to reject independence in a referendum in 2014, subsequent events in the UK have only widened the gap between Scotland and Westminster. The Brexit vote saw Scotland vote primarily to remain in the European Union compared with England and Wales, which mostly voted to leave. The Scottish National Party is the largest political party in the Scottish Parliament but won just nine Scottish seats in the UK general election in 2024, down from 48 in 2019, which was followed by an unsuccessful request for a second Scottish independence referendum. As of September 2024, the share of people in Scotland who would vote for independence stood at 44 percent, compared with 56 percent who would stay in the United Kingdom.Falling crime and economic headwinds
The number of recorded crimes in Scotland has declined substantially in recent years, falling from almost 512,000 crimes in 2004/05 to around 299,800 in 2023/24. This decline can also be seen in Scotland's crime rate, which has dropped from 93.4 crimes per 1,000 people in 2004/05 to 55 in 2023/24, significantly lower than that of England and Wales. In terms of Scotland's economic situation, recent labor market statistics show that the overall unemployment rate was declining significantly between 2011 and 20`9, with this trend also reflected in the youth unemployment rate. The uptick in unemployment from 2020 onwards was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused widespread disruption to the UK economy . Going into 2025, it is likely that Scotland will continue to suffer the lingering effects of the cost of living crisis afflicting the UK, driven by record high inflation rates in 2022 and rising energy prices.
