Since 1801, the Scottish census has been used to provide a snapshot of the people and households that make up the country. Conducted by the National Records of Scotland, this decennial census is separate from the ONS’s Census in England and Wales.

In Scotland, the latest census was carried out in 2022, opposed to 2021, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent survey fell short in response rates, registering only 89.8% of respondents, compared to 93.8% in 2011 and 97% in England and Wales.

Nonetheless, the 2022 census was built on lessons from the past. Following 2011, the National Records of Scotland consulted data users and undertook research to understand how the census programme could improve. 

Research made clear the need for a phased approach to census communications, to ensure accuracy and good standards. This way, from 2023 onwards, the NRS has been publishing Census local area data by phases, with the latest set of data published on the 26th of March 2025, providing insights into multivariate census outputs. 

Census data is a critical source for academic research and policymaking. The phasing of census data enables higher quality research and better informed policy. This new release of multivariate data allows for the combination of variables in the same table, published down to data zones. Through this, more in depth research can be undertaken to inform a varied array of disciplines. 

In February, the NRS published its Scotland’s Census 2022 – General Report with key information on data collection, statistical quality, lessons learned, and future of population statistics in Scotland.

Key Takeaways:

Here are the key geographical takeaways from the 2022 Census so far: 

Health and Education: The City of Edinburgh has the highest rate of people who report having good or very good health, at 83.7%, whilst also being the area with the highest rate of people with degree level qualifications or above, at 50%. 

Conversely, western areas of Scotland saw highest rates of bad or very bad health reports, this is the case of Inverclyde at 9.5% of the population, and of people over 16 with no qualifications, particularly in East Ayrshire, at 22.2%.

Labour Market: Aberdeenshire is amongst the local authorities with the highest percentage of people over 16 in employment working 49 or more hours per week, at 15.3%. Additionally, it is also one of the areas with the highest rates of workers in the Manufacturing and Mining and Quarrying industries. 

Households: Glasgow City has the highest rate of one person households, this is 43.7%. Whilst East Renfrewshire has seen the highest percentage of married or civil partnership households (52.5%).

Sexual orientation: In the City of Edinburgh those who do not identify as heterosexual, this includes Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual, make up 7.6% of the population, the highest rate in the country. Heterosexual sexual orientation rates are highest in the Shetland Islands (90.2%). 

The map below shows Health Status statistics in Scotland by Local Authority. Double click on the map to explore data in your area.