Net Migration
Last updated: August 2008
Migration is more difficult to measure than births and deaths. People can move within the UK, emigrate, or move to the UK from within the European Economic Area with no obligation to register their migration.
Traditionally, Scotland was a country of emigration. For example, in the mid-1960s there was a net outflow of around 40,000 people per year. However this has changed. Since the early 1990s, inflows and outflows have been approximately equal, while in the last five years there have been net gains of around 9,000 in the year to mid-2003, 26,000 to mid-2004, 19,000 to mid-2005, 21,000 to mid-2006 and 27,000 to mid-2007. This most recent net migration gain is the highest level recorded since current records started in 1952.
Broadly speaking, in the last 5 years migration into Scotland has typically been about 70,000 to 100,000 whilst migration from Scotland has ranged from around 70,000 to under 80,000. The level of net migration can be significantly affected by relatively small changes in these gross flows from year to year, particularly if one flow rises while the other falls.
Estimated net migration, Scotland, 1951-2007
Source: General Register Office for Scotland
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Migration