Scottish cities

Child population in selected Scottish cities, 1991-2023

Glasgow’s child population is the largest among Scotland’s major cities. In 2023, there were just less than 100,000 children living in the city. The child population of these Scottish cities, with the exception of Edinburgh, has dropped over the last 32 years. In Glasgow there has been a net reduction of 23,000 children, equating to a percentage reduction of 19%. Dundee has also experienced a relative reduction of 19%, while in Aberdeen the reduction has been less substantial (down 2%). In Edinburgh there has been a small rise of 3% in the child population.

Children as a percentage of the total population in selected Scottish cities, 1991-2023

The percentage of children as a proportion of the total population in each city has reduced over the last 32 years. The largest change was in Glasgow, decreasing from 19% in 1991 to 15% in 2023. The percentage of the population that are children varies very little across the four cities in 2023. Children account for 14-16% of the overall population of each city.

Notes

The population estimates for 2012-2021 are the rebased mid-year population estimates produced by NRS. The rebased mid-year estimates align the population with Scottish 2022 Census results.

This page was last updated in December 2024.