Aberdeenshire County : Percentage Aged over 65

R_AGE_65_up = (AGE_GROUP:65_up * 100.0) / TOT_POP:now

Data Role Period Covered Authority Source Details Method
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1851 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1851 Census of Great Britain, Ages, Table 4 , 'Islands in the British Seas:- Ages of Males and Females enumerated March 31st, 1851' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1851 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1851 Census of Great Britain, Population tables 2, Table [1] , 'Population Abstract' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1861 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1861 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [3] , 'Ages of the Males and Females in the Registration Counties arranged Geographically' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1861 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1871 Census of Scotland, Population summary, Table 1 , 'Scotland in Civil Counties and Parishes, showing the Acreage, the number of Families, of Houses Inhabited, Uninhabited, and Building; the number of the total Population and of Persons of each Sex; the number of Children from 5 to 13 years of age in the receipt of Education; the number of Rooms with Windows; the number of Persons temporarily absent or present in each Parish or subdivision thereof on the 3d April 1871. For comparison's sake, there is added the number of Families, Persons of each Sex, Houses, and Rooms, with Windows in 1861' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1871 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1871 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [2] , 'Ages of the People, distinguishing the Sexes, at every year of life, in each of the Registration Counties' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1871 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1871 Census of Scotland, Population summary, Table 1 , 'Scotland in Civil Counties and Parishes, showing the Acreage, the number of Families, of Houses Inhabited, Uninhabited, and Building; the number of the total Population and of Persons of each Sex; the number of Children from 5 to 13 years of age in the receipt of Education; the number of Rooms with Windows; the number of Persons temporarily absent or present in each Parish or subdivision thereof on the 3d April 1871. For comparison's sake, there is added the number of Families, Persons of each Sex, Houses, and Rooms, with Windows in 1861' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1881 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1891 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [1] , 'Ages of the Males and Females for every Quinquennial Period of Life, for the Divisions, Counties, and Civil Parishes of Scotland' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1891 SRC GBH Source Documentation System [ERROR: authority is ''SRC'' but auth_note value of does not appear in SRC_TAB] Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1911 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1911 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 20 A, 'Population by Conjugal Conditions and Quinquennial Age-Periods - Of Parishes' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1911 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1911 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 1 , 'Population of Civil Parishes' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1931 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1931 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 21 , 'Quinquennial Age-Groups and Conjugal Condition (All Ages) - All Burghs and Districts of Counties' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1931 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1931 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 1 , 'Population of Burghs, Districts of Counties, and Civil Parishes' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1951 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1951 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 15 , 'Quinquennial age-groups by conjugal condition (all ages)', for 'Burghs, Wards of Cities, Districts of Counties' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
TOT_POP:now 1951 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1951 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 1 , 'Comparison of population, density per 100 acres, and houses with 1931', for 'Burghs, Districts of Counties and CPs' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1961 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1961 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 6 , 'Age and Martial Condition', for 'County, LB, SB, Districts of County, NT' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
AGE_GROUP:65_up 1971 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1971 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 8 , 'Population by sex, age and marital condition', for 'County, local authority areas' Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area

More details


The proportion of the population aged over 65 was close to 5% in all censuses from 1851 to 1911, but it then tripled during the 20th century. In the nineteenth century, the elderly can be seen as a residual, concentrated mainly in rural areas. In 1851, this meant mainly the rural periphery: the south west, Norfolk and Suffolk, and most of Wales. The highlands of Scotland, conversely, contained relatively few elderly people due to poor life expectancy.

By 1951, we begin to see a new pattern as people began to expect a lengthy retirement in which some could live where they pleased. The elderly themselves became migrants, moving to rural areas and especially to seaside areas. By the early 21st century, the country was almost ringed by a necklace of districts with over 20% aged over 65.


How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Aberdeenshire County through time | Historical Statistics on Population | Rate: Percentage Aged over 65, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10036021/cube/AGE_65_up

Date accessed: 09th April 2026