# Demographics of Edinburgh

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The demography of [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), the capital city and [second largest city](/source/List_of_towns_and_cities_in_Scotland_by_population) of [Scotland](/source/Scotland), is analysed by the [National Records of Scotland](/source/National_Records_of_Scotland).[1] The population of the [council area](/source/Council_areas_of_Scotland) of [Edinburgh](/source/City_of_Edinburgh_Council) was in .[2]

## Population

### Historical

Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1801 82,560 — 1811 102,987 +24.7% 1821 138,235 +34.2% 1831 161,909 +17.1% 1841 166,450 +2.8% 1851 193,929 +16.5% 1901 303,638 +56.6% 1911 320,318 +5.5% 1921 420,264 +31.2% 1931 439,010 +4.5% 1951 466,761 +6.3%

[3]

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the population expanded rapidly, rising from 49,000 in 1751 to 136,000 in 1831, primarily due to migration from rural areas.[4]: 9 As the population grew, problems of overcrowding in the Old Town, particularly in the cramped [tenements](/source/Tenement) that lined the present day Royal Mile and the [Cowgate](/source/Cowgate), were exacerbated.[4]: 9 Poor sanitary arrangements resulted in a high incidence of disease,[4]: 9 with outbreaks of [cholera](/source/Cholera) occurring in 1832, 1848 and 1866.[5]

## Ethnicity

Ethnic Group 1991[6][7] 2001[8][9] 2011[8][9] 2022[10] Number % Number % Number % Number % White: Total 409,044 97.64% 430,369 95.9% 437,167 91.5% 436,742 84.9% White: Scottish – – 354,053 78.9% 334,987 70.2% 298,533 58.0% White: Other British – – 51,407 11.4% 56,132 11.7% 69,829 13.6% White: Irish 5,518 1.31% 6,470 1.4% 8,603 1.8% 10,326 2.0% White: Gypsy/Traveller[a] – – – – 388 – 256 – White: Polish[a] – – – – 12,820 2.68% 16,351 3.18% White: Other – – 18,439 4.1% 24,237 5.1% 41,449 8.1% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Total 6,979 1.66% 11,600 2.5% 26,264 5.5% 44,070 8.6% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Indian 1,176 0.28% 2,384 0.53% 6,470 1.35% 12,414 2.41% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Pakistani 2,625 0.62% 3,928 0.87% 5,858 1.22% 7,454 1.45% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Bangladeshi 328 – 636 0.14% 1,277 0.26% 2,685 0.52% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Chinese 1,940 0.46% 3,532 0.78% 8,076 1.69% 15,076 2.93% Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British: Asian Other 910 0.21% 1,201 0.26% 4,583 0.96% 6,441 1.25% Black, Black Scottish or Black British[b] 1,171 0.3% 1,577 0.3% 5,505 1.2% 10,881 2.1% African: Total 603 - 1,285 0.2% 4,474 0.9% 9,462 1.84% African: African, African Scottish or African British 603 – 1,285 0.2% 4,364 0.91% 809 0.16% African: Other African – – – – 110 – 8,653 1.68% Caribbean or Black: Total 568 – 292 – 1,031 0.2% 1,419 0.3% Caribbean 175 – 292 – 505 0.1% 477 0.1% Black – – – – 403 – 80 – Caribbean or Black: Other 393 – – – 123 – 862 0.17% Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: Total – – 2,776 0.6% 4,087 0.8% 12,882 2.5% Other: Total 1,720 0.41% 2,047 0.45% 3,603 0.8% 9,966 1.9% Other: Arab[a] – – – – 2,500 0.52% 4,119 0.8% Other: Any other ethnic group 1,720 0.41% 2,047 0.45% 1,103 0.23% 5,849 1.14% Total: 418,914 100% 448,624 100% 476,626 100% 514,543 100%

## Country of birth

The proportion of people residing in Edinburgh born outside the UK was 23.5% in 2022, compared with 15.9% in 2011 and 8.3% in 2001. Below are the largest overseas-born groups in Edinburgh according to the 2022 census, alongside the two previous censuses.

Place of birth 2022[11] 2011[12] 2001[13] Poland 13,842 11,651 416 India 9,445 4,888 1,733 Mainland China[c] 8,229 4,188 978 United States 6,539 3,715 2,184 Italy 4,885 1,716 1,257 Spain 4,837 2,011 1,058 Ireland 4,774 4,743 3,324 Germany 3,843 3,526 2,760 Hong Kong 3,556 1,622 1,416 Pakistan 3,220 2,472 1,663 Nigeria 2,978 1,186 231 France 2,973 2,039 1,412 South Africa 2,464 1,824 1,331 Greece 2,377 992 575 Australia 2,189 2,086 2,012 Canada 2,079 1,760 1,332 Overall – all overseas-born 120,978 75,698 37,420

## Religion

The following table shows the religion of respondents in the 2001, 2011 and 2022 censuses in Edinburgh.

Current religion 2001[14] 2011[15] 2022[10] Number % Number % Number % Christianity 245,876 54.81% 206,565 43.34% 154,899 30.10% –Church of Scotland 158,305 35.29% 115,634 24.26% 69,356 13.48% –Roman Catholic 48,712 10.86% 57,868 12.14% 51,950 10.10% –Other Christian 38,859 8.66% 33,063 6.94% 33,593 6.53% Islam 6,759 1.51% 12,434 2.61% 18,034 3.50% Hinduism 1,209 0.27% 3,996 0.84% 8,459 1.64% Buddhism 1,193 0.27% 2,380 0.50% 2,796 0.54% Sikhism 792 0.18% 1,110 0.23% 1,395 0.27% Judaism 774 0.17% 855 0.18% 1,270 0.25% Paganism[d] 2,055 0.40% Other religion 5,696 1.27% 1,864 0.39% 1,629 0.32% No religion 163,930 36.54% 213,651 44.83% 289,944 56.35% Religion not stated 22,395 4.99% 33,771 7.09% 34,061 6.62% No religion/Not stated total 186,325 41.53% 247,422 51.91% 324,005 62.97% Total population 448,624 100.00% 476,626 100.00% 514,543 100.00%

## National identity

The 2022 census found that of the 514,543 people residing in Edinburgh, 47.9% identified with the [Scottish identity](/source/Scottish_national_identity) only, 16.6% identified with the British identity only and 8.9% identified with both identities. 5.0% identified with other UK identities (including English identity), 16.5% identified with an other identity only and the final 0.9% identified with at least one UK identity and an other identity.[16]

## See also

- [Demographics of Glasgow](/source/Demographics_of_Glasgow)
- [Demographics of Scotland](/source/Demographics_of_Scotland)
- [Subdivisions of Scotland](/source/Subdivisions_of_Scotland)

## Notes

1. New category created for the 2011 census

1. Category restructured for the 2011 census

1. This figure does not include [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong) and [Macau](/source/Macau).

1. New category created for the 2022 census

## References

1. ["City of Edinburgh Council Area Profile"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190426122000/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/council-area-data-sheets/city-of-edinburgh-council-profile.html). National Records of Scotland. Archived from [the original](https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/council-area-data-sheets/city-of-edinburgh-council-profile.html) on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

1. ["Edinburgh ScoP through timePopulation Table View"](http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10105250/cube/TOT_POP). *www.visionofbritain.org.uk*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160311192720/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10105250/cube/TOT_POP) 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 March 2016.

1. Edwards, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2005). *Edinburgh: The Making of a Capital City*. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-1868-2.

1. Gilbert, W M (ed.) (1967 [1901]). *Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century*. Edinburgh: J & R Allan Ltd. pp. 95, 120, 140.

1. As UK Census data post 2001 is unavailable through the ONS website, it has been [recommended](https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011census/2011censusdata/censusdata18011991) to use archival census collection websites to obtain data. Data is taken from United Kingdom [Casweb Data services](http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/index.htm) of the United Kingdom [1991 Census on Ethnic Data for Scotland.](http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/step1.cfm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220405213012/http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/step1.cfm) 5 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine (Table 6)

1. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys; General Register Office for Scotland; Registrar General for Northern Ireland (1997): 1991 Census aggregate data. UK Data Service (Edition: 1997). DOI: [http://dx.doi.org/10.5257/census/aggregate-1991-1](http://dx.doi.org/10.5257/census/aggregate-1991-1) This information is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence

1. Census Dissemination Unit, Mimas (5 May 2011). ["InFuse"](https://infuse2011gf.ukdataservice.ac.uk/). *infuse2011gf.ukdataservice.ac.uk*. Retrieved 24 June 2022.

1. Council, The City of Edinburgh. ["Census 2011 – The Results for Edinburgh – The City of Edinburgh Council"](http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/2938/census_2011_-_ethnicity_and_related_themes_-_topic_report_for_edinburgh). *www.edinburgh.gov.uk*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181218010434/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/2938/census_2011_-_ethnicity_and_related_themes_-_topic_report_for_edinburgh) 18 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 January 2019.

1. ["Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data"](https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/media/trbdxzme/scotland-s-census-2022-ethnic-group-national-identity-language-and-religion-chart-data.xlsx). *Scotland's Census*. [National Records of Scotland](/source/National_Records_of_Scotland). 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024. [Alternative URL](https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/search-by) 'Search data by location' > 'Local Authority (CA2019)' > 'City of Edinburgh' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Ethnic Group'

1. ["Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals"](https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/location/topics/list?topic=Ethnicity,%20Identity,%20Language%20and%20Religion&categoryId=4). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. '2022' > 'City of Edinburgh' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'

1. ["Archived copy"](http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2938/census_2011_-_ethnicity_and_related_themes_-_topic_report_for_edinburgh.pdf). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201549/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2938/census_2011_-_ethnicity_and_related_themes_-_topic_report_for_edinburgh.pdf) 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 December 2018.

1. ["Table UV08 - Country of birth: Final council area/LAD by Country of Birth by Person and Termtime Address Indicator"](https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/location/topics/list?topic=Ethnicity,%20Identity,%20Language%20and%20Religion&categoryId=4). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. '2001' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'

1. ["Scotland's Census 2001 - National Records of Scotland Table UV16 - Current religion"](https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView.xhtml). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 21 June 2024.

1. ["Scotland's Census 2011 – Table KS209SCb"](http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-web/standard-outputs.html). scotlandscensus.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2015.

1. ["Scotland's Census 2022 - UV202 - National identity"](https://statistics.ukdataservice.ac.uk/da_DK/dataset/scotland-s-census-2022-uv202-national-identity). UK Data Service. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

## External links

[City of Edinburgh: Council Area Profile, National Records of Scotland](https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/council-area-data-sheets/city-of-edinburgh-council-profile.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190426122000/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/council-area-data-sheets/city-of-edinburgh-council-profile.html) 2019-04-26 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Demographics of Edinburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Edinburgh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Edinburgh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.