Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2009
Annual publication containing summary of key statistics on environmental trends in Scotland
Background
Population and Households: 1991-2031
Population/Households (thousands)
Thousands
Mid-year Estimates |
Projections |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 |
2000 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2031 |
||
Population |
5,083 |
5,063 |
5,117 |
5,144 |
5,169 |
5,374 |
|
Households |
2,043 |
2,177 |
2,291 |
2,314 |
2,331 |
2,731 |
|
People and households are large consumers of energy and water, a demand that can put great strains upon the environment. The population of Scotland declined steadily through most of the 1980s, followed by small increases in the seven years up to 1995. The population then decreased to 5.06 million in 2002 and has since increased to 5.17 million in 2008.
The 2006-based projections indicate that population will rise by 5% to 5.37 million between 2006 and 2031, whereas the overall UK population is set to increase by 17% in the same period. 1
The number of households rose by 288,000 (14%) between 1991 and 2008, reflecting the fact that household structures are changing, with fewer people per household. Projections based on 2006 figures suggest that by 2031, the number of households in Scotland will increase by 19% to 2.7 million. This will contribute significantly to the demand for housing, not all of which can be accommodated on previously developed land.
In 2007, the Scottish Government set a purpose target, to match average European (EU15) population growth over the period from 2007 to 2017.
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