Population projections for the Highlands

The latest statistics from the General Registers Office for Scotland project that the population of the Highlands is expected to grow by 18% to 259,768 in 2024 if the trends experienced during the period from 2024 to 2024 continue.

The Highland Council has published the projections on its latest briefing note, which is published on its web site: www.highland.gov.uk

They say:

• Deaths will exceed births across Highland as a whole and growth will be the result of net inward migration of 1,650 people per year.
• The highest rates of projected growth will be in Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey, and projected falls in Sutherland.
• The number of children will rise in Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey but fall in all other areas.
• The number of working age people will rise in Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey but fall in all other areas.
• The number of retired people will almost double (range 61% to 117%), while the percentage of elderly aged 75+ will more than double.
• The projections are based on a continuation of past trends and do not take account of future policy initiatives which may influence our future population.

Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of The Highland Council's Planning Environmental and Community Services, said: "These projections point to a healthy growth in our population and provide a strong indication that the Highlands are a place where people want to live and work.. The new Highland-wide local development plan shows how we aim to accommodate the early years of this growth creating the basis for sustainable and balanced economic development across the area."