Scotland’s most common age is 60. There are more 60-year-olds living here than people of any other single age, according to the latest National Records of Scotland (NRS) population estimates, and that one number says a lot about where the country is heading.
Age looks very different depending on where you live, though. A 35-year-old in Glasgow is older than almost half the city. Put the same person in the Western Isles and they are older than fewer than one in three residents.
Use the calculator below to see how many people in your council area are older than you, how you compare with the local median age, and where in Scotland you would feel youngest or oldest. It uses official single-year-of-age estimates for all 32 council areas, plus the new centenarian figures NRS published on 20 October 2026.
Official NRS data · Scotland 2025
How many people in your area are older than you?
Enter your age and pick a council area to see where you rank, using the latest single-year-of-age estimates for all 32 council areas.
Hover or drag across the chart, or use the slider, to change your age.
Where would you feel youngest and oldest?
Compare all 32 council areas
Share of residents younger than you in each area. Tap a row to select it.
people in Scotland were aged 100 or over in mid-2025, up 5% in a decade. Women outnumber men four to one, but male centenarians grew faster (+17% vs +2%).
Source: National Records of Scotland, Mid-2025 population estimates (Table 1, single year of age by council area) and Population estimates for centenarians, mid-2025 (published 20 October 2026). Estimates are for 30 June 2025, so use your age on that date for the closest match. NRS groups everyone aged 90 and over together. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Key Findings
- Scotland’s median age is 43.1, older than the UK as a whole (40.9).
- Anyone aged 44 or over in mid-2025 was older than more than half of Scotland. By 63, you are older than three in four people.
- Glasgow City is the youngest council area (median age 35.6). Na h-Eileanan Siar is the oldest (52.3).
- Glasgow is the only council area with more children under 16 than people aged 65 and over.
- The most common age is 60 nationally, but it is 25 in Glasgow, 23 in Edinburgh and just 13 in East Renfrewshire.
- Six council areas now have a median age above 50.
- Scotland had 950 people aged 100 or over and around 48,620 aged 90 or over in mid-2025.
How Scotland’s Age Compares With the Rest of the UK
Scotland is older than the UK average. Figures from the Office for National Statistics, published on 1 October 2026, put the median age in mid-2025 at:
- Wales: 43.2 years
- Scotland: 43.1 years
- UK overall: 40.9 years
- England and Northern Ireland: 40.6 years
That gap of more than two years comes down to two long-running trends. Scotland has recorded more deaths than births every year since 2015, and NRS reported a record low of 45,067 births in 2025, the fewest since records began in 1855. Population growth now depends almost entirely on people moving here from the rest of the UK and overseas.
Scotland’s Youngest and Oldest Council Areas
The median age is the point where half the population is younger and half is older. It is the simplest way to compare how old an area is, because a handful of very old or very young residents cannot drag it around the way they can an average.
Across Scotland the gap is huge. The median resident of Glasgow is 35.6, while the median resident of the Western Isles is 52.3. That is a difference of almost 17 years between two parts of the same country.
The Five Youngest Council Areas
- Glasgow City (35.6): the youngest by some distance, with more 25-year-olds than people of any other age. Our guide to where to stay in Glasgow compares the city’s neighbourhoods, from the City Centre to the West End.
- City of Edinburgh (37.4): the most common age is 23, reflecting the capital’s large student population. See our local’s guide to where to stay in Edinburgh.
- Dundee City (39.0): the most common age is 22.
- Aberdeen City (39.4): the most common age is also 22.
- Midlothian (42.0): the youngest council area outside the four cities, with 18.6% of residents under 16, the second-highest share in Scotland.
The Five Oldest Council Areas
- Na h-Eileanan Siar (52.3): the oldest population in Scotland, with 28.1% of residents aged 65 or over. Our guide to the best Scottish islands to visit includes Harris and the wider Outer Hebrides.
- Argyll and Bute (52.1): has the lowest share of children of any council area, at 13.6%. It covers islands such as Mull and Islay as well as mainland towns like Dunoon.
- Dumfries and Galloway (51.8): has the highest share of people aged 65 and over in Scotland, at 28.7%. If you are visiting, start with our tips on choosing a base in Dumfries and Galloway.
- Scottish Borders (51.2): 28.0% of residents are aged 65 or over.
- South Ayrshire (50.6): its most common age is 64, the oldest of any council area. If you are heading that way, find out whether Ayr is worth visiting.
Median Age in Every Scottish Council Area
| Council area | Median age | Aged under 16 | Aged 65+ | Most common age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow City | 35.6 | 14.8% | 14.2% | 25 |
| City of Edinburgh | 37.4 | 13.7% | 16.4% | 23 |
| Dundee City | 39.0 | 15.7% | 18.8% | 22 |
| Aberdeen City | 39.4 | 15.7% | 17.7% | 22 |
| Midlothian | 42.0 | 18.6% | 19.8% | 39 |
| West Lothian | 42.2 | 18.1% | 18.4% | 57 |
| North Lanarkshire | 42.7 | 17.1% | 18.9% | 58 |
| Renfrewshire | 42.8 | 16.1% | 20.4% | 60 |
| Stirling | 44.0 | 15.3% | 21.6% | 22 |
| Falkirk | 44.2 | 16.3% | 20.4% | 58 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 44.2 | 16.5% | 21.4% | 61 |
| South Lanarkshire | 44.2 | 16.7% | 21.4% | 61 |
| East Renfrewshire | 44.5 | 20.1% | 22.5% | 13 |
| Fife | 45.0 | 15.8% | 22.9% | 60 |
| East Lothian | 45.1 | 17.2% | 22.3% | 60 |
| Clackmannanshire | 45.6 | 16.2% | 22.0% | 60 |
| East Ayrshire | 45.8 | 16.5% | 22.6% | 60 |
| Shetland Islands | 45.9 | 17.1% | 23.3% | 61 |
| Aberdeenshire | 46.3 | 17.6% | 22.7% | 61 |
| Moray | 46.8 | 15.8% | 24.1% | 62 |
| Inverclyde | 47.0 | 15.1% | 23.7% | 62 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 47.1 | 17.6% | 25.5% | 62 |
| Perth and Kinross | 48.0 | 15.2% | 25.6% | 62 |
| North Ayrshire | 48.2 | 15.4% | 25.1% | 60 |
| Highland | 48.4 | 15.1% | 25.1% | 61 |
| Angus | 49.0 | 15.3% | 26.5% | 60 |
| Orkney Islands | 50.5 | 15.3% | 26.8% | 59 |
| South Ayrshire | 50.6 | 14.7% | 28.0% | 64 |
| Scottish Borders | 51.2 | 14.9% | 28.0% | 62 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 51.8 | 14.6% | 28.7% | 61 |
| Argyll and Bute | 52.1 | 13.6% | 28.4% | 60 |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) | 52.3 | 14.3% | 28.1% | 57 |
| Scotland | 43.1 | 15.8% | 21.0% | 60 |
The pattern is clear. The four big cities sit at the young end, the commuter belts around Edinburgh and Glasgow fill the middle, and rural, coastal and island authorities make up the oldest group. For growth, migration and density figures for the same 32 areas, use our Scotland population and migration explorer.
What Age Makes You Older Than Most People in Scotland?
The National Tipping Points
- Age 44: you are older than more than half of Scotland’s 5.55 million residents.
- Age 60: the single most common age in the country, shared by 82,402 people.
- Age 63: you are older than three in four people.
- Age 90 and over: you are older than more than 99% of the population.
Same Age, Very Different Ranking
That national answer changes a lot once you look locally. The table below shows the share of residents who are younger than you at four different ages.
| Area | Age 25 | Age 40 | Age 50 | Age 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 26% | 46% | 58% | 72% |
| Glasgow City | 28% | 57% | 69% | 80% |
| City of Edinburgh | 28% | 54% | 67% | 78% |
| Aberdeen City | 28% | 51% | 64% | 76% |
| Dundee City | 30% | 51% | 63% | 75% |
| Fife | 27% | 44% | 56% | 70% |
| Highland | 24% | 40% | 52% | 67% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 23% | 38% | 48% | 62% |
| Argyll and Bute | 22% | 37% | 47% | 63% |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) | 22% | 36% | 47% | 63% |
- At 40, you are older than 57% of Glasgow but only 36% of the Western Isles.
- At 60, you are older than 80% of Glasgow but only 63% of the Western Isles.
- At 25, the spread is much narrower, from 22% in Argyll and Bute and the Western Isles to 30% in Dundee.
Why Scotland’s Cities Are So Young
Students and Young Workers
Students and young workers shape the age profile of every Scottish city. The most common single age is:
- 25 in Glasgow
- 23 in Edinburgh
- 22 in Aberdeen, Dundee and Stirling
All five are home to large universities and colleges.
Glasgow: The Only Council With More Children Than Over-65s
Glasgow stands out even among the cities. Children under 16 make up 14.8% of residents, compared with 14.2% for people aged 65 and over. No other council area has more children than over-65s. NRS also found that deaths outnumbered births in every council area except Glasgow City and Midlothian in the year to mid-2025. Our Glasgow travel guide gives a feel for the city behind the numbers.
The Commuter Belt
Areas just outside the cities are slightly older but still below the national median. Midlothian (42.0) and West Lothian (42.2), both among the fastest-growing council areas in Scotland, have some of the highest shares of children in the country. Our breakdown of where people are moving to and leaving shows which areas are gaining and losing residents.
East Renfrewshire: Scotland’s Family Belt
East Renfrewshire has the most unusual age profile in Scotland:
- Its most common age is 13, by far the youngest of any council area.
- 20.1% of residents are under 16, the highest share in the country.
- Only 8.6% are in their twenties, against 12.7% across Scotland.
- It has 13.2 people aged 90 or over per 1,000 residents, the second-highest concentration after East Dunbartonshire.
The profile fits an area that attracts families with children while older residents stay put. If you are weighing up where to settle, our guide to the best places to move in Scotland based on population data looks at growth, schools and commuting together.
Rural and Island Scotland Is Getting Older
Fewer Children in Remote Areas
An older population is not a problem in itself. Many people choose the coast and countryside for retirement. The bigger change is happening at the other end of the age range. A separate NRS analysis of small areas found that between 2014 and 2024:
- The number of children fell by 10.4% in remote small towns and 9.4% in remote rural areas.
- The number of people aged 65 and over rose in every type of area, from big cities to remote countryside.
- Large urban areas saw the biggest growth in working-age adults.
What It Means for Local Services
Older populations change what councils and health boards need to provide, from social care and GP access to buses and housing that suits later life. Falling numbers of children make it harder to keep small schools open, and fewer young adults means fewer people to fill local jobs.
Where the Trend Is Heading
NRS’s latest national projections suggest Scotland’s population will start to fall from mid-2034 if recent trends continue. By mid-2049, they project:
- More than 300,000 extra people aged 75 and over.
- Almost 166,000 fewer children.
- More than 157,000 fewer young adults.
At council level, the 2022-based subnational projections show Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire and Na h-Eileanan Siar with the biggest projected falls by 2032. Our breakdown of Scotland’s population projections covers every council area.
Visiting Scotland’s Older Regions
Some of Scotland’s oldest council areas are also among its most rewarding to visit:
- Dumfries and Galloway: Stranraer’s beaches and gardens and the forest trails around Dalbeattie.
- Moray (24.1% aged 65+): the two beaches at Lossiemouth.
- Inverclyde: the outdoor saltwater pool and Clyde views in Gourock.
- Highland: our guide to where to stay in the Scottish Highlands.
Scotland’s 90-Plus Population and Centenarians
Centenarians in 2025
The NRS centenarian estimates published on 20 October 2026 show:
- 950 people aged 100 or over in mid-2025, up 5% on ten years earlier.
- Four female centenarians for every male one.
- Male centenarians up 17% over the decade, compared with 2% for women.
- Around 48,620 people aged 90 or over, up 22% since mid-2015.
- Men aged 90 or over up 48%, compared with 12% for women.
Behind those numbers are remarkable lives, such as Aberdeenshire’s Jim Glennie, one of Scotland’s last D-Day veterans, who landed on Sword Beach at 18 and died aged 100.
Where Scotland’s Oldest Residents Live
The centenarian release does not break the figures down by council area, but the main estimates show where people aged 90 or over live. Per 1,000 residents, the highest concentrations are in:
- East Dunbartonshire: 13.6
- East Renfrewshire: 13.2
- Orkney Islands: 12.8
All three also have above-average healthy life expectancy, according to separate NRS figures. The lowest concentrations are in Glasgow (5.4), Clackmannanshire (5.6) and West Lothian (5.9).
How to Use the Scotland Age Calculator
- Enter your age as it was on 30 June 2025 for the closest match with the official estimates.
- Choose “All of Scotland” or any of the 32 council areas from the menu.
- Tap a bar on the age chart to jump straight to that age.
- Open “Compare all 32 council areas” to see how your ranking changes across Scotland.
- Use “Copy result” to share your ranking with friends.
Thinking about making the move north for good? Our guide to moving to Scotland from England covers housing, healthcare, costs and the paperwork that tends to catch people out.
About the Data
This article and calculator use official statistics only:
- Single-year-of-age estimates: Table 1 of the NRS mid-2025 population estimates, covering every council area on 30 June 2025.
- Centenarians and the 90-plus population: NRS population estimates for centenarians, mid-2025.
- UK comparison: ONS population estimates for the UK, mid-2025.
- Births and deaths: NRS vital events for 2025.
- Projections: NRS 2024-based national population projections and 2022-based subnational projections.
NRS groups everyone aged 90 and over into one band, so the calculator cannot split ages above 90. “Older than” means the share of residents who are younger than you, and people who are exactly your age are counted separately. Median ages are calculated within each single year of age, the same method NRS uses, and match the official figures.
NRS rounds its centenarian figures, so its 90-plus total (48,620) differs slightly from the unrounded estimate in the main tables (48,617). Upcoming releases are listed in our searchable Scottish Government statistics calendar.
Data last updated: October 2026.
Scotland Age FAQ
What is the median age in Scotland?
Scotland’s median age was 43.1 in mid-2025. Half the population was younger than that and half was older.
Is Scotland older than the rest of the UK?
Yes. Scotland’s median age of 43.1 is 2.2 years above the UK figure of 40.9. Only Wales, at 43.2, is slightly older.
Which council area in Scotland has the oldest population?
Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Western Isles) has the highest median age at 52.3, closely followed by Argyll and Bute at 52.1. Dumfries and Galloway has the highest share of residents aged 65 and over, at 28.7%.
Which council area in Scotland has the youngest population?
Glasgow City is the youngest council area, with a median age of 35.6. The City of Edinburgh is next at 37.4.
What is the most common age in Scotland?
The most common single age in Scotland is 60. An estimated 82,402 people were 60 years old in mid-2025.
How many people in Scotland are over 100?
NRS estimates that 950 people aged 100 or over were living in Scotland in mid-2025, up 5% on ten years earlier. Women outnumber men by about four to one.
How many people in Scotland are aged 65 or over?
Around 1.16 million people, or 21% of the population, were aged 65 or over in mid-2025. That compares with about 878,000 children under 16.
How old do you have to be to be older than most people in Scotland?
Anyone aged 44 or over in mid-2025 was older than more than half of Scotland’s population. At 63 you are older than three in four people.
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