# Most and least densely populated places in Scotland (2021)

Glasgow was the most densely populated of Scotland’s 32 councils in 2021 (population density 3,555 per km²).

Na h-Eileanan Siar was the least densely populated (8 per km²). The middle council, South Lanarkshire, had 184 per km².

Worked out by Open Index from census population counts and the area of each place.

| Rank | Area | Population density | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Glasgow](https://openindex.co.uk/glasgow) | 3,555 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 2 | [Dundee](https://openindex.co.uk/dundee) | 2,487 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 3 | [Edinburgh](https://openindex.co.uk/edinburgh) | 1,953 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 4 | [Aberdeen](https://openindex.co.uk/aberdeen) | 1,207 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 5 | [North Lanarkshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-lanarkshire) | 722 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 6 | [Renfrewshire](https://openindex.co.uk/renfrewshire) | 703 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 7 | [East Dunbartonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-dunbartonshire) | 624 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 8 | [East Renfrewshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-renfrewshire) | 555 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 9 | [Falkirk](https://openindex.co.uk/falkirk) | 533 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 10 | [West Dunbartonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/west-dunbartonshire) | 499 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 11 | [Inverclyde](https://openindex.co.uk/inverclyde) | 484 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 12 | [West Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian) | 423 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 13 | [Clackmannanshire](https://openindex.co.uk/clackmannanshire) | 325 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 14 | [Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife) | 281 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 15 | [Midlothian](https://openindex.co.uk/midlothian) | 272 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 16 | [South Lanarkshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-lanarkshire) | 184 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 17 | [East Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian) | 165 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 18 | [North Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-ayrshire) | 151 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 19 | [East Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-ayrshire) | 95 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 20 | [South Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-ayrshire) | 91 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 21 | [Angus](https://openindex.co.uk/angus) | 52 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| =22 | [Aberdeenshire](https://openindex.co.uk/aberdeenshire) | 42 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| =22 | [Moray](https://openindex.co.uk/moray) | 42 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 24 | [Stirling](https://openindex.co.uk/stirling) | 41 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 25 | [Perth and Kinross](https://openindex.co.uk/perth-and-kinross) | 28 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 26 | [Scottish Borders](https://openindex.co.uk/scottish-borders) | 25 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 27 | [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway) | 23 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 28 | [Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands) | 22 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 29 | [Shetland Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands) | 16 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 30 | [Argyll and Bute](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute) | 12 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 31 | [Highland](https://openindex.co.uk/highland) | 9 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |
| 32 | [Na h-Eileanan Siar](https://openindex.co.uk/na-h-eileanan-siar) | 8 per km² | Worked out by Open Index by adding up the census figures for the Data Zones in this area. Scotland's census was held a year later than in the rest of the UK, on 20 March 2022. This figure is for that day. |

Source: Worked out by Open Index from census population counts and the area of each place. Period: 2021. Period: 2021.

## Other rankings of this measure

- [UK](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/uk)
- [England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/england)
- [Northern Ireland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/northern-ireland)
- [Wales](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/wales)
- [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/north-east)
- [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/north-west)
- [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/yorkshire-and-the-humber)
- [East Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/east-midlands)
- [West Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/west-midlands)
- [East of England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/east-of-england)
- [London](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/london)
- [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/south-east)
- [South West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/south-west)

- [The map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population-density)
- [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/population-density)

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/scotland.

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/rankings/population-density/scotland