Household Projections
Last Updated: May 2009
By 2031, the number of households in Scotland is projected to increase to 2.7 million, which is an average of 17,600 additional households per year. Most of the increase is the result of an ageing population and more people living alone or in smaller households, rather than an increase in the overall population. Looking to the future, there is a projected increase in the number of people in older age groups, with a fall in the number of younger people. This has an impact on household structure, as elderly people are more likely to live alone or with just one other person and children tend to live in larger households.
Household type
The chart below shows the numbers of households of each type in 2006 and the projected number in 2031. There is a substantial projected increase in households containing just one adult (an increase of nearly a half). There are also projected increases in households with two adults (an increase of around a quarter), and households with one adult with children.
In contrast, the number of larger households is projected to fall, with households containing two or more adults with children, or three or more adults, projected to decrease by almost a third.
Projected number of households in Scotland by household type: 2006 and 2031
Source: Household Projections for Scotland, General Register Office for Scotland, 2006-based
Age group
The chart below shows the number of households in 2006 and the projected number in 2031, by the age of the head of household. Scotland’s population is ageing, with a projected increase in the number of people in the older age groups. This trend is reflected in the household projections, with the largest increases shown in households headed by people aged 60 or over (an increase of over a half from 753,000 to 1.14 million between 2006 and 2031). In contrast, households headed by someone aged under 60 are projected to increase by just 4 per cent, to around 1.59 million. The number of households headed by someone aged 85 or over is projected to more than double over the same period, from 69,000 to 177,000.
Projected number of households in Scotland by age of head of household, 2006 and 2031
Source: Household Projections for Scotland, General Register Office for Scotland, 2006-based