Trends in
Migration
Last Updated: September 2009
Historically, Scotland has been a country of net out-migration, with more people leaving Scotland to live elsewhere than moving to live in Scotland. However, since the 1960s, net out-migration has greatly reduced and in some years during the late 1980s and early 1990s Scotland experienced net migration gains. This has also been the case in the last six years, with net gains of around 9,000 to mid-2003, 26,000 to mid-2004, 19,000 to mid-2005, 21,000 to mid-2006, 27,000 to mid-2007 and 20,000 to mid-2008. The net migration gain in 2006-07 was the highest since current records started in 1952; the 2007-08 gain was the fourth highest.
Net migration, 1951-2008
These recent migration gains are a result of more people entering Scotland from both the rest of the UK and overseas than go in the other direction. Between 2003 and 2005 Scotland gained more people from the rest of the UK than from overseas and this was also true in 2008. However in 2006 and 2007 Scotland gained more from overseas.
Net migration between Scotland and the rest of the UK and between Scotland and overseas, 2002-2008
