Population 'highest in 25 years'

Most migrants moved to Scotland from other parts of the UK

The population of Scotland has risen to its highest level since 1983, according to government statistics.

The figures showed that the population had risen to 5,144,200 by June 2007, an increase of 27,300 compared with the previous year.

The increase was mostly due to the highest levels of migration to Scotland from other parts of the UK and abroad since the 1950s.

There were also more births than deaths for the first time in 10 years.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said the Mid-2007 Population Estimates for Scotland showed that that the number of mothers from Eastern Europe giving birth in Scotland was one of the reasons for the rise in the birth rate.

He added: "By June 2007, Scotland's population reached its highest level since 1983. Part of the reason for the increase was because the number of births was 1,100 higher than the number of deaths - the first year there have been more births than deaths since 1996-97.

"But the increase was mostly due to migration. More than 63,000 people left Scotland - but nearly 90,000 came here, mostly from the rest of the UK.

"And migrants helped increase the birth rate too. Mothers from Eastern Europe accounted for one in three of the increase in the number of births between 2006 and 2007, although only one in 50 of all births in Scotland was to a mother from Eastern Europe."

Population density

Over the year, 26,800 more people moved to Scotland than left, including a net gain of 8,800 people from the rest of the UK and 16,800 from overseas, and a net gain of 1,200 members of the armed forces.

A total of 51,500 people came to Scotland from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while 42,700 left to go in the opposite direction.

A further 37,800 people came to Scotland from overseas and 21,000 moved abroad from Scotland. The net increase of 16,800 is the highest ever.

Clackmannanshire had the largest percentage population increase of 2%, followed by East Lothian and Perth & Kinross, while East Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde had the largest percentage population decreases at 0.6%.

Population density was 66 people per square kilometre for Scotland, and ranged from eight people per square kilometre in the Highland Council area to 3,316 people per square kilometre in Glasgow.