Country of birth
The 2011 census broke down where people living in Scotland had been born.
Born in the UK
4.9 million people in Scotland were born in the UK.
That’s 93.4% of the population - down from 96.6% in 2001.
83.3% of Scotland’s population was born in Scotland.
Born outside the UK
369,000 people in Scotland were born outside of the UK.
That's nearly double the number in 2001, when 192,000 people in Scotland were born outside the UK.
55% of people born outside the UK had arrived in the UK between 2004 and March 2011.
89% of people born outside the UK had arrived in the country when they were younger than 35 years old.
Most common countries of birth
4.4 million
Scotland
459,000
England
55,000
Poland
37,000
Northern Ireland
23,000
India
17,000
Wales
Explore Scotland's Census
Scotland's population is diverse and the data on this page is just part of the story. The data from Scotland's Census is easy to use and free for everyone.
Area overviews
View and compare simple census results for postcodes, towns, council areas, or all of Scotland.
Search the data
Get detailed data tables for a wide range of topics and geographies with our data searching tool.
Analytical reports
Read detailed reports that make use of census data to explore various topics.