This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Population estimates for 2003
25/05/2004
Population estimates for Council and Health Board areas
are available today as a follow-up to figures released by
the Registrar General for Scotland last month.
The results show:
- Aberdeenshire was the council area with the largest
proportionate increase at 0.9 per cent, followed by
Moray and Scottish Borders with 0.8 per cent
- Aberdeen City (-1.3 per cent), Midlothian (-1.0 per
cent) and Dundee City (-0.8 per cent) had the largest
decreases
- Of Health Board areas, Borders had the largest
increase (0.8 per cent) followed by Highland and Orkney
with 0.5 per cent. The largest decreases occurred in
Western Isles and Argyll and Clyde Health Board areas
(-0.4 per cent)
Tables
presenting a summary of these estimates, with details
of the components of population change for the period
mid-2002 to mid-2003 and more detailed information on the
2003 mid-year population estimate by age, sex and
administrative area (Council and Health Board area) are
available on the GROS website.
The
2001 Census results published in September 2002 showed
that previous population estimates had exaggerated the
population of Scotland by some 50,000 - largely because of
errors in estimates of migration in the 1980s and
1990s.
To ensure that future estimates do not continue to
overestimate the population, a component for unattributable
population change has been included in the latest figures -
a reduction of 2,600 people.
The source of the information about overseas emigration
and immigration is the International Passenger Survey. It
is based on a small sample, and there is a higher risk of
error than with the remainder of the population
estimates.
Further work is being undertaken to review the quality
of the method and data sources used to estimate migration,
in particular to reduce the level of unmeasured
migration.
A National Statistics Quality Review of International
Migration Statistics was carried out by the ONS, and a
report was published which recommended ways of improving
the quality and accuracy of international migration. An
implementation plan has been developed by ONS but it will
be some time before improved data sources are
available.