Edinburgh Council (City) : Total Population

Total Population

Data cube chart.

Year Population 10 years earlier Current Total Population
1801 94,500 Show data context
1811 94,500 Show data context 117,222 Show data context
1821 117,222 Show data context 156,668 Show data context
1831 156,668 Show data context 181,364 Show data context
1841 181,364 Show data context 186,993 Show data context
1851 186,993 Show data context 215,047 Show data context
1861 215,047 Show data context 213,005 Show data context
1871 213,005 Show data context
1881 296,680 Show data context
1891 296,680 Show data context
1911 436,456 Show data context
1921 436,456 Show data context 420,880 Show data context
1931 420,880 Show data context 438,297 Show data context
1941 438,297 Show data context
1951 466,553 Show data context
1961 466,553 Show data context 475,387 Show data context
1971 475,387 Show data context 451,736 Show data context
1981 451,736 Show data context 424,677 Show data context
1991 424,677 Show data context 415,517 Show data context
2001 415,517 Show data context 448,624 Show data context
2011 476,626 Show data context
2021 514,591 Show data context
Date Source
1801 - 1851 1851 Census of Great Britain, Population tables 2, Table [1] , 'Population Abstract'
1811 - 2001 Census of Population
1861 1861 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [5] , 'Ages of the Males and Females in the Town Districts'
1881 1881 Census of Scotland, Ages, Table [1] , 'Ages of the Males and Females for every Quinquennial Period of Life, for the Registration Divisions, Counties, and Districts of Scotland'
1911 1911 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 19 A, 'Conjugal Condition and Age-distribution of Population - Of City or County'
1921 1931 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 1 , 'Population of Burghs, Districts of Counties, and Civil Parishes'
1931 1931 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 21 , 'Quinquennial Age-Groups and Conjugal Condition (All Ages) - All Burghs and Districts of Counties'
1951 1951 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 15 , 'Quinquennial age-groups by conjugal condition (all ages)', for 'Burghs, Wards of Cities, Districts of Counties'
1961 1961 Census of Scotland, County Report, Table 6 , 'Age and Martial Condition', for 'County, LB, SB, Districts of County, NT'
1971 UK Data Service, Census 1971 data (Tables SAS06 and SAS07)
1981 UK Data Service, Census 1981 data (Table SAS02: "Age and Marital Status: All Residents)
1991 Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table S02 Age and marital status: Residents [100%])
2001 National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (Table CAS001 Age by sex and whether living in household or communal establishment)
2011 National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (File LC1117SC.csv within Output_Area_blk.zip)
2021 National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (Table UV102b - Age (20) by sex)

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nCube definition


The 1831 census provides information, down to parish-level, on the occupations of males aged over 20 using nine categories. Here we reorganise this information to provide a crude measure of social status, based more on contemporary ideas than on modern definitions of social class: "middling sorts" combines small farmers not employing labourers with both masters and skilled workers in urban manufacturing and handicrafts.


How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Edinburgh Council (City) through time | Historical Statistics on Population | Total Population, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10211104/cube/TOT_POP

Date accessed: 01st June 2026