2013

Figures published today by the National Records (NRS) of Scotland show that the growth rate of households in Scotland is at its slowest rate in 10 years.

Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland said:

“While the number of households in Scotland has been increasing year on year since 2001, the growth rate has slowed since 2007, with the increase over the last year at the lowest in the past 10 years.

“The main reason for this is likely to be the economic downturn, which led to reductions in new house building, and the constrained mortgage and labour market.”

The report’s main findings are:

Number of households

• The number of households in Scotland has increased every year for the last 10 years. In mid-2012, there were 2.39 million households in Scotland – an increase of around 175,000 (eight per cent) over the last 10 years.
• However, the rate of household increase has slowed substantially since the start of the economic downturn. Over the last year, the number of households increased by 10,700 (0.4 per cent). This is the lowest yearly increase in the last 10 years.
• In all local authorities in Scotland, the average household size fell between 2001 and 2008. Since 2008, it has remained constant, but in a few areas (mainly the big cities), household size has started to increase slowly.

Local authority figures

• The number of households has increased over the last year in every local authority except Inverclyde (a fall of 42 households) and West Dunbartonshire (a fall of eight households).
• Over the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of households in all areas.

The areas with the greatest increase over the last 10 years in percentage terms have been Orkney Islands (an increase of 16 per cent, 1,377 households) and Aberdeenshire (an increase of 15 per cent, 13,637 households). The City of Edinburgh has seen the largest increase in terms of absolute numbers (17,973 households, an increase of 9 per cent).

The full publication, Estimates of Household and Dwellings in Scotland, 2012, is available on NRS website

Provisional figures for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships registered during the first quarter of 2013 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that 15,090 deaths were registered in Scotland between 1 January and 31 March 2013 – 870 (6.1 per cent) more than in the same period of 2012. This follows five successive decreases in the first quarter total, from 15,820 in 2007 to 14,220 in 2012. 

The provisional figures also show that:

• 13,863 births were registered in the first quarter of the year – 909 (6.2 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2012.
• The number of marriages increased by 0.1 per cent to 3,258, which was 3 more than during the first quarter of 2012.
• There were 63 civil partnerships (29 male and 34 female), 20 fewer than during the first quarter of 2012. 
• Deaths from cancer fell by 1.2 per cent to 3,853, deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 0.8 per cent to 1,934, and there were 1,250 deaths from stroke (a rise of 7.6 per cent).

Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland, said:

“Today’s statistics show a fall in the number of births registered, with fewer than in the first quarter of each of the years from 2007 to 2011, inclusive. The number of births had been tending to decline gradually since 2008.

“The number of deaths rose to the highest quarterly total since the first quarter of 2007. The number of deaths had been generally falling until 2011. Each of the last four quarters have had more deaths than in the same quarter of the previous year."

The full publication Births, Deaths and other vital events - first quarter 2013, is available on NRS website.

National Records of Scotland is delighted to announce that the Valuation Rolls for 1895 are the latest set of records to be added to ScotlandsPeople online and the ScotlandsPeople Centre.

The names of more than two million Scots from the late Victorian age will be published today, as records of Scottish properties and their owners and occupiers in 1895 are released on family history website ScotlandsPeople. The records given an insight into Scottish society during that period and comprise more than two million indexed names and over 75,000 digital images, covering every kind of building, structure or property in Scotland that was assessed as having a rateable value.

The Valuation Rolls include people from right across the social spectrum, from the wealthiest proprietors to the humblest property owners and tenants of Scotland's urban housing.

Some fascinating aspects of social history are revealed in the Rolls, including the growth of tea rooms, the opening of Scotland's first crematorium and the provision of housing for workers, such as shale miners and prison staff.

We have also identified many 'tee-names' in the Rolls, the names used in some communities in the north-east of Scotland and elsewhere to distinguish people of the same name. Tee-names are nicknames with a difference because they were not just used by one person, but could be applied to other family members, and handed on to the next generation. Codlin, Gyke, Costie Stone and Santa Upple are just some of the tee-names given to inhabitants of Buckie in Banffshire according to the 1895 Valuation Rolls.

Every one of the Valuation Rolls is fully searchable by name and address via ScotlandsPeople, with the records listing the names of owners, tenants and occupiers of each property - in many cases occupations are also included.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, said:

"ScotlandsPeople is an incredible resource that enables Scots, those of Scottish descent and anyone with an interest in Scotland to find out more about our nation's fascinating history, heritage, people and built environment. The release of the Valuation Rolls for 1895 is a welcome development that will strengthen the rich resource in Scotland's national archive".

Tim Ellis , Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said:

"The release of the Valuation Rolls for 1895 will prove invaluable for family and local history research, enabling people to discover much more about who their ancestors were and how they lived. Reading an entry for a single building can provide a fascinating insight into local life at the time - adding to the information people can obtain from census records taken around that period. This forms part of the National Records of Scotland's commitment to improving our service to the public and providing researchers with the resources that they need".

The latest results from the 2011 Census in Scotland show that, for the first time ever, there were more single person households than any other household size.

The results also show that, whilst the overall population is growing and getting older, it is not a uniform picture across Scotland.

The statistics published today by the National Records of Scotland (NRS), provides estimates of the population of each local authority area broken down by sex and 5 year age band as well as estimates for the number of households within each area.

Key points from Release 1B:

Households

• In 2011, one-person households accounted for 35 per cent of all households in Scotland, ranging from 27 per cent in Aberdeenshire to 43 per cent in Glasgow City.
• The number of households in Scotland with at least one usual resident on census day in 2011 was estimated to be 2,372,780 - the highest ever.
• The average household size in Scotland was 2.19 people per household and ranged from 2.02 in Glasgow City to 2.42 in East Renfrewshire.

Age Structure

• In 2011, 17 per cent of the population were aged 65 and over. This proportion ranges from 14 per cent in West Lothian to 22 per cent in Argyll & Bute.
• 16 per cent of the population were aged under 15 in 2011. This percentage ranges from 14 per cent in Aberdeen City to 19 per cent in West Lothian.

Comparisons with 10 Years Ago

• Since 2001 the number of households in Scotland has increased by 180,530 (eight per cent) from 2,192,250 to 2,372,780. All council areas saw increases with the largest in Orkney Islands (17 per cent), Aberdeenshire (15 per cent) and Highland (14 per cent). The smallest increases were East Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute and Inverclyde.
• Between 2001 and 2011 the number of households increased faster than the number of people in households in all areas of Scotland. This has led to a decrease in average household size from 2.27 to 2.19 people per household.
• In 1961, one-person households were the least common household type and accounted for 14 per cent of all households. By 2011 they had become the most common household type and accounted for 35 per cent of all households.
• Since 2001, the number of children aged under five years in Scotland has increased by six per cent. This change has not been uniform throughout the country. In the City of Edinburgh the increase was 18 per cent whilst there was a reduction of 11 per cent in Argyll & Bute.
• The number of people aged 80 and over has increased by 19 per cent since 2001. All council areas have seen rises. This ranges from a three per cent increase in Glasgow to a 44 per cent increase in East Dunbartonshire.

National Records of Scotland Chief Executive Tim Ellis said:

“These results from the census show that whilst the overall population is growing and getting older, there is considerable variation in the picture across Scotland. Some areas have seen small increases in overall numbers but significant changes in their population age structure, whilst other areas have seen larger overall increases but less pronounced ageing of the population. The results also show that, for the first time ever, single person households are the most common household type, accounting for more than a third of all households in Scotland."

The full publication, 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1B and relevant data can be found on the Scotland's Census website.

In April 2013 the first records management plan from a named public authority was submitted under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.

In January 2013 the named authorities of the Keeper of the Records of Scotland and the Registrar General for Scotland, operating jointly under the umbrella of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), were invited under The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 to submit their records management plan by the end of April 2013. The plan was handed over early on 12 April 2013 by John Simmons, acting NRS Records Manager, and will now be assessed by the PRSA Implementation Team along with the accompanying evidence.

NRS is the first public authority to submit a records management plan for assessment under the new Act, which came into force on 1 January 2013. Following assessment by the Implementation Team, and (hopefully) agreement, the plan will be published on our website as a guide to other authorities. If the plan is returned, further work will be needed to ensure that the plan complies with the requirements of the Act.

Provisional figures for births, deaths, adoptions, marriages and civil partnerships registered during 2012 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that marriages in Scotland have risen for the third consecutive year and are now at their highest figure since 2005.

Tim Ellis, the new Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland said:

“In historic terms, the number of marriages in 2012 was relatively low. However, the total number of marriages has been rising since 2009 and in 2012 reached 30,534, an increase of 4.8 per cent on the 2011 figure."

The provisional figures also show that:

• There were 574 civil partnerships (257 male and 317 female), 20 more than during 2011.
• 58,027 births were registered in the year – 563 (1.0 per cent) fewer than in 2011.
• 54,937 deaths were registered in Scotland in 2012 – 1,276 (2.4 per cent) more than in 2011. However, despite that rise, it is the fourth lowest number of deaths recorded in over 150 years.
• Deaths from cancer rose by 2.3 per cent to 15,808, deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 2.0 per cent to 7,481, and there were 4,474 deaths from stroke (a drop of 2.6 per cent).

Tim Ellis commented :

"Although deaths rose in 2012, they are not high in historical terms. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1990s, there tended to be between 60,000 and 65,000 deaths per year, and larger numbers before then – far more than in recent years, when the annual totals have been below 55,000. There is usually some year-to-year fluctuation in the number of deaths and in 2011, Scotland recorded its lowest ever annual total (53,661), so an increase in the number registered in 2012 was not unexpected."

The full publication, 2012 Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events – Preliminary Annual Figures, is available on the NRS website.

The number of people registered to vote in elections in Scotland continued to rise, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland.

The Electoral Statistics show that between 2010 and 2012, the registered electorates for local councils, the Scottish Parliament, the UK Parliament and the European Parliament all increased by between 1.4 and 2.0 per cent.

That means, with the exception of 2009, Scottish electorates have risen year on year since 2003.

On December 1, 2012:

• 4.06 million people were registered to vote in the local government and Scottish Parliament elections – an increase of 54,795 (1.4 per cent) compared to December 1, 2011, the highest level recorded since local government boundaries were revised in 1996.
• 3.99 million people were registered to vote in UK Parliament elections – an increase of 43,665 (1.1 per cent);
• 3.99 million people were registered to vote in elections to the European Parliament, an increase of 43,489 (1.1 per cent).

During the same period, the number of European Union (EU) citizens registered to vote in local government and Scottish Parliament elections rose by 11,114 to 79,063 (16.4 per cent). This is likely to underestimate the total number of EU citizens resident in Scotland, since many may not register. Latest estimates put the number of EU citizens from continental Europe living in Scotland at around double that number.

The full publication, Electoral Statistics - 1st December 2012, is available on the NRS website.

The Hogmanay bells not only celebrated the New Year but the coming into force of The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 (the Act) on 1 Jan 2013. The first new public records legislation for more than 70 years sets out a scheme for improving record-keeping across the Scottish public sector. The new law is aimed at improving public record-keeping in Scotland, and follows extensive consultation with the Scottish public sector and the records management community.

The Act will affect many public-sector organisations including local authorities, NHS, police and courts, as well as the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. They are now obliged to prepare and implement a records management plan, to be agreed with the Keeper of the Records of Scotland (the Keeper), and which should be regularly reviewed. The Act also affects National Records of Scotland (NRS) who will be the first body invited to submit a records management plan for the Keeper's approval.

Plans submitted for the Keeper's agreement must detail the functions of each authority and the types of records that are created. They should show the policies in place for appropriate storage, retention, disposal, archiving and security of those records. They should also contain a statement, or records policy, that acknowledges the responsibility of the authority to properly care for the public records they create.

The purpose of the Act is to ensure that records created by public bodies are managed in an appropriate way. Implementation of plans will help develop a culture that promotes public records as a vital business asset that must be properly managed and protected. As well as increasing business efficiency, good records management will help authorities meet their statutory obligations and respond better to their users needs.

For more information about the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 see our dedicated web pages on the NRS(NAS) website