Migration - Meeting Scotland's Needs

How we are responding to the evidence

13. The Scottish Government published a Population Strategy in 2021 setting out how we will respond to the demographic challenge that we face. This strategy is underpinned by four key ambitions:

• ‘An Attractive and Welcoming Country’ – Scotland needs to be able to attract people who can make a positive contribution to our economy, communities and public services.
• ‘A Family Friendly Nation’ – Scotland’s birth rate is at a record low and is the lowest in the UK. We must ensure Scotland is the best place to raise a family.
• ‘A Healthy Living Society’ – Scotland’s population is living longer, which is to be celebrated, and we must ensure that our people are healthy and active.
• ‘A More Balanced Population’ – With rural and island communities and those in the west experiencing population decline, while many in the east experience increased population growth, we must ensure our population is more balanced and distributed so all our communities can flourish.

14. In 2024 the Scottish Government published the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan and provided funding to local authority areas most affected by the challenge of population decline. This funding supports pathfinder projects which explore interventions to address the challenge of depopulation.

15. Migration is only one strand in the approach to addressing Scotland’s demographic challenge, but it is a crucial one. Scotland’s history of out-migration and population decline has left a structural legacy. Communities, especially rural communities, did not just lose those individuals who left Scotland but also the potential future generations of their children and grandchildren. This legacy means that Scotland has long been more reliant on migration than many other areas of the United Kingdom.

16. Without migration, our population would be declining rather than growing. Migration means that our population is younger and made up of a greater proportion of people of working age who can help to fund and deliver the public services that we need. Migration brings skills and expertise that help to grow our economy, and those who choose to live in Scotland are helping to sustain our communities, especially rural and island communities.