3. The Age and Sex Structure of the Population
3.1 The age and sex composition is one of the most important aspects of the population. Changes in different age groups will have different social and economic impacts. For example, increases in the elderly population are likely to place a greater demand on health and social services. Scotland’s estimated population is shown by age and sex in Figure 3.
Figure 3 Estimated population by age and sex, 30 June 2009
3.2 Among older people, particularly over 75, the higher number of females reflects the longer expectation of life for women, partly as a result of higher rates of male mortality during the Second World War. The two baby booms of 1947 and the 1960s can also be seen with a sharp peak at age 62 and another peak between the ages of around 40 and 50. These baby boomers, along with relatively low fertility rates since the 1960s, are the main reasons why Scotland’s population is likely to age in the future.
3.3 The changing age structure of the population since 1999 is illustrated in Figure 4. The ageing of the population is evident in the rises in the older age groups (+13 per cent in the 45-59 age group, +12 per cent in the 60-74 age group and +14 per cent in the 75 and over age group) and the falls in some of the younger age groups (-8 per cent in the under 16 age group and -10 per cent in the 30-44 age group).
Figure 4 The changing age structure of Scotland's population, 1999-2009
