The number of households in Scotland rose by 13% in 20 years, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).
The latest figures show there were 2.55 million households in the country in 2024. In the same time period there was a 15% increase in the number of dwellings to 2.74 million. The proportion of dwellings which were unoccupied remained steady at 4.1%.
Household numbers have grown across every council area. The biggest percentage increases in the last 20 years were seen in Midlothian and East Lothian, both up 29%, followed by the Orkney Islands, up 25%. Inverclyde had the smallest increase at 2%, followed by Dundee City and West Dumbartonshire, both at 6%.
Sandy Taylor, Head of Household Statistics, said:
“Beneath the headline figures for the rise in households and dwellings the data shows other trends. The number of households is rising faster than the population. This is due to more people living alone.
“In 2023, 38% of households consisted of a single person. That’s 958,000 people, around one in six of the population, living alone. Much of this increase is being driven by an ageing population, as older people are more likely to live by themselves.”
The number of second homes fell by 10% between 2023 and 2024, after local councils were allowed to charge a 100% council tax premium from April 2024.
In 2024,19,900 new build homes were completed. This is 2,400 fewer than in the previous year and the lowest since 2018 excluding 2020. However it is also slightly higher than the annual average for the 20 years from 2004.
Background
- These figures are based on an accredited Official Statistics publication released today by National Records of Scotland (NRS): Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland 2024.
- The household and dwelling statistics are mainly used for informing decisions about housing need and service provision.
- A ‘dwelling’ refers to the accommodation itself, for example, a house or a flat. A ‘household’ refers to the people living together in that dwelling. The number of households will be smaller than the number of dwellings, as some dwellings are vacant or second homes.
- In 2013, the Scottish Government introduced legislation which allows councils to increase the Council Tax charges on certain long-term empty properties. It also made slight changes to the definitions of such properties and second homes. The aim of the legislation is to encourage empty home owners to bring their properties back into use. More information on this, and other empty homes initiatives, can be found on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/emptyhomes
- From April 2024 councils have the ability to implement a 100% council tax premium (double council tax) on second homes. This is likely to have been reflected in the 10% reduction in the number of second homes recorded between 2023 and 2024.
- Further statistics produced by NRS, and information about our statistics, can be accessed at: http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data
