# Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

Central Scotland. About 96,363 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 148 square kilometres.

Melanie Ward has been the Labour MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy since July 2024. They won by 7,248 votes on a 56.8% turnout.

Constituency. Code S14000071. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)

## MP and the 2024 result

Melanie Ward has been the Labour MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy since July 2024.
They won by 7,248 votes on a 56.8% turnout.

MP: [Melanie Ward](https://members.parliament.uk/member/5240) (Labour).

### General election, 4 July 2024: Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Melanie Ward (elected) | Labour | 18,662 | 45.7% |
| Lesley Backhouse | Scottish National Party | 11,414 | 28.0% |
| Jonathan Gray | Conservative | 3,203 | 7.8% |
| Sonia Davidson | Reform UK | 3,128 | 7.7% |
| Fraser Graham | Liberal Democrat | 1,593 | 3.9% |
| Mags Hall | Scottish Green Party | 1,556 | 3.8% |
| Neale Hanvey | Alba Party | 1,132 | 2.8% |
| Calum Paul | Scottish Libertarian Party | 126 | 0.3% |

Electorate 71,845. Turnout 56.8%. Majority 7,248 (17.8%). Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: House of Commons Library, UK Parliament election results. https://electionresults.parliament.uk/elections/3404

MP as of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Key figures

- **Majority, 2024 general election: 17.8%** (July 2024). The winner in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had a majority of 17.8% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024 (House of Commons Library). Joint 251st largest majority of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy#f-ge2024-majority
- **Turnout, 2024 general election: 56.8%** (July 2024). Turnout in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 56.8% (House of Commons Library). Joint 205th lowest turnout of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy#f-ge2024-turnout
- **Population: 95,015** (2021). Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had 95,015 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 148th least populated of 650. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 8%** (2022). About 8% of people in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy#f-radon-affected-share

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S14000071) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 8% of people in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S14000071) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Fife, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S14000071) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Fife, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy.
- [Population by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S14000071) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had 95,015 usual residents at the census.

## How Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy compares

Each constituency against every other constituency the measure covers.

| Measure | Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Majority, 2024 general election | 17.8% | joint 251st largest majority | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Turnout, 2024 general election | 56.8% | joint 205th lowest turnout | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Population | 95,015 | 148th least populated | 650 constituencies, UK · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 8% | joint 169th fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 650 constituencies, UK · 2022 |

## What is the population of Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy?

Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had 95,015 usual residents at the census.
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy is the 148th least populated of 650 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Fife

Most of Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy lies in Fife. These figures are published for the whole of Fife, not for constituencies, so they describe the council and not Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy itself. [See Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife)

- **Average house price: £182,463** (August 2026). Fife’s average house price was £182,463 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 5.1% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £38,913** (2025). Full-time workers living in Fife earned a median of £38,913 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 162nd highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 4.7×** (2025). A home in Fife costs 4.7 times local full-time pay. Joint 33rd most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Population estimate: 373,990** (2025). Fife’s population was an estimated 373,990 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.2% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy in brief

The winner in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had a majority of 17.8% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024.
Turnout in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 56.8%.
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy had 95,015 usual residents at the census.
About 8% of people in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

## About

- Type: Constituency
- Code: S14000071
- Council: [Fife †](https://openindex.co.uk/fife)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 148 km²
- People, mid-2024: 96,363*
- Wards: 6
- Middle areas: 27
- Neighbourhoods: 129
- Output areas: 837

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the council this constituency mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Glenrothes and Mid Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/glenrothes-and-mid-fife), [Dunfermline and Dollar](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/dunfermline-and-dollar)

## Similar places

Constituencies with the closest mix of age and density. [East Renfrewshire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/east-renfrewshire), [Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/inverclyde-and-renfrewshire-west), [Glenrothes and Mid Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/glenrothes-and-mid-fife), [Edinburgh West](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/edinburgh-west), [Hamilton and Clyde Valley](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/hamilton-and-clyde-valley), [Central Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/central-ayrshire).

## Latest updates for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S14000071

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy#f-ge2024-majority.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/cowdenbeath-and-kirkcaldy