Natural population change

This page describes trends in natural population change in Glasgow. Natural population change is simply a measure of the number of deaths in a population subtracted from the number of births. If there are more births than deaths then natural change is adding to the population, whereas if there are more deaths than births then the natural change is contributing to a reduction in population. Migration is another factor that contributes to population change.

Natural change in the population in Glasgow 1855 - 2023

From 1855 until the 1970s, the number of births in Glasgow exceeded the number of deaths. From the 1970s, Glasgow's population, which had already been in decline due to outward migration, reduced further due to the number of deaths exceeding the number of births. In the period 2007-2019, the number of births exceeded the number of deaths, and alongside the impact of inward migration, contributed to a slight increase in Glasgow's population. However, in the last four years deaths have again exceeded births in large part due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes

More detailed data on births and deaths in Scotland can be accessed from National Records of Scotland. 

Last updated November 2024.