# Biggest and smallest places in Scotland by population (2025)

Glasgow was the most populated of Scotland’s 32 councils in 2025 (population estimate 654,330).

Orkney Islands was the least populated (21,920). The middle council, East Ayrshire, had 121,350.

| Rank | Area | Population estimate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Glasgow](https://openindex.co.uk/glasgow) | 654,330 |
| 2 | [Edinburgh](https://openindex.co.uk/edinburgh) | 531,370 |
| 3 | [Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife) | 373,990 |
| 4 | [North Lanarkshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-lanarkshire) | 343,930 |
| 5 | [South Lanarkshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-lanarkshire) | 334,330 |
| 6 | [Aberdeenshire](https://openindex.co.uk/aberdeenshire) | 264,640 |
| 7 | [Highland](https://openindex.co.uk/highland) | 237,260 |
| 8 | [Aberdeen](https://openindex.co.uk/aberdeen) | 230,180 |
| 9 | [Renfrewshire](https://openindex.co.uk/renfrewshire) | 189,270 |
| 10 | [West Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian) | 187,240 |
| 11 | [Falkirk](https://openindex.co.uk/falkirk) | 160,230 |
| 12 | [Perth and Kinross](https://openindex.co.uk/perth-and-kinross) | 154,930 |
| 13 | [Dundee](https://openindex.co.uk/dundee) | 148,390 |
| 14 | [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway) | 145,490 |
| 15 | [North Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-ayrshire) | 133,660 |
| 16 | [East Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-ayrshire) | 121,350 |
| 17 | [Scottish Borders](https://openindex.co.uk/scottish-borders) | 116,800 |
| 18 | [East Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian) | 116,460 |
| 19 | [Angus](https://openindex.co.uk/angus) | 114,610 |
| 20 | [South Ayrshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-ayrshire) | 112,280 |
| 21 | [East Dunbartonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-dunbartonshire) | 109,550 |
| 22 | [Midlothian](https://openindex.co.uk/midlothian) | 100,390 |
| 23 | [East Renfrewshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-renfrewshire) | 99,840 |
| 24 | [Moray](https://openindex.co.uk/moray) | 94,730 |
| 25 | [Stirling](https://openindex.co.uk/stirling) | 94,040 |
| 26 | [West Dunbartonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/west-dunbartonshire) | 88,340 |
| 27 | [Argyll and Bute](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute) | 87,310 |
| 28 | [Inverclyde](https://openindex.co.uk/inverclyde) | 78,550 |
| 29 | [Clackmannanshire](https://openindex.co.uk/clackmannanshire) | 51,610 |
| 30 | [Na h-Eileanan Siar](https://openindex.co.uk/na-h-eileanan-siar) | 25,770 |
| 31 | [Shetland Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands) | 22,710 |
| 32 | [Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands) | 21,920 |

Source: Mid-year population estimates, ONS population estimates. Period: 2025. Period: 2025.

## Other rankings of this measure

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

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

## How to cite

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