Most and least populated places in Scotland (2021)

Glasgow was the most populated of Scotland’s 32 councils in 2021 (population 620,719).

Orkney Islands was the least populated (21,962). The middle council, East Ayrshire, had 120,320.

Map of population across the UKSee it on the map
Population for every council in Scotland, highest first. Councils without a figure are listed last with the reason.
RankCouncilValue
1Glasgow

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

620,719
2Edinburgh

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

514,501
3Fife

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

371,740
4North Lanarkshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

340,983
5South Lanarkshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

327,016
6Aberdeenshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

263,723
7Highland

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

235,330
8Aberdeen

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

224,015
9Renfrewshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

183,863
10West Lothian

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

181,285
11Falkirk

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

158,418
12Perth and Kinross

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

150,923
13Dundee

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

148,717
14Dumfries and Galloway

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

145,868
15North Ayrshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

133,425
16East Ayrshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

120,320
17Scottish Borders

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

116,823
18Angus

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

114,352
19East Lothian

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

112,288
20South Ayrshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

111,533
21East Dunbartonshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

108,913
22East Renfrewshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

96,795
23Midlothian

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

96,530
24Moray

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

93,282
25Stirling

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

92,605
26West Dunbartonshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

88,390
27Argyll and Bute

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

85,948
28Inverclyde

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

78,423
29Clackmannanshire

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

51,764
30Na h-Eileanan Siar

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

26,138
31Shetland Islands

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

22,973
32Orkney Islands

Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day.

21,962

Source and method · See it on the map