This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Registrar General publishes household estimates for 2004
30/08/2005
The number of households in Scotland has increased by 10 per cent since 1991, the Registrar General announced today as he issued his Household Estimates for 2004.
In June 2004, Scotland had 2.25 million households, a 0.9 per cent (21,000) increase from the previous year and a 10 per cent (203,000) increase since 1991.
Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said:
"These figures are not a surprise. Although Scotland's population has fallen slightly since 1991, the number of households is increasing because the average household size is getting smaller.
"Over the past five years, the number of adults living alone has continued to increase, and the number of larger households (three or more adults, or two or more adults with one or more children) has decreased.
"According to the 1991 Census, 29 per cent of households contained just one adult - this figure has now risen to 34 per cent. Meanwhile, the percentage of households containing two or more adults with one or more children has fallen from 25 per cent in 1991 to 21 per cent now.
"Locally, the largest increases in the number of households over the past year were in North Ayrshire (2.7 per cent), Aberdeenshire (2.0 per cent) and West Lothian (1.8 per cent), while Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire showed very small decreases.
"In 2004, 4.6 per cent of all dwellings in Scotland were vacant or second homes (including some self-catering holiday accommodation). The largest numbers of second homes or dwellings lying vacant were in the island authorities, Argyll & Bute and Highland."