Thursday July 30th 2026
Photo by Jennifer Kalenberg
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The number of households in Scotland rose to 2.57 million in 2025 according to new data from National Records of Scotland.
It’s up by 18,400 or 0.7% on the previous year and 13% over 20 years.
The number of households increased across all council areas including those with declining populations.
The areas with the biggest increases in households were Midlothian at 31% over 20 years, East Lothian at 30% and Orkney at 23%. The areas with the smallest percentage increases were in Inverclyde at 2%, while West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute and South Ayrshire all saw increases of 6% or less.
Head of household statistics at NRS, Sandy Taylor, said: “The number of households increased across all council areas as more people are living alone or in smaller households. Inverclyde saw a 2% increase in the number of households despite losing population. This reflects a national trend towards people, especially older women, living alone.”
The number of dwellings has risen to 2.76 million, an increase of 15% over 20 years.
The number of second homes fell by 3% between 2024 and 2025. This follows a 10% drop in the previous 12 months. At the start of this period local councils gained the ability to charge a 100% council tax premium on second homes.
The percentage of dwellings that were unoccupied has remained fairly stable at around 4% of all dwellings but the number has been rising. This is mainly due to an increase in long-term empty properties.
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