Scotland’s 2022 Census data recently became available at local level. You can find it here. It now has sufficient detail to allow quite small areas to be analysed. This is one such analysis created for Yes Tweeddale, which encompasses a rural area of the Scottish Borders.

Demography and migration

Adult Lifestage

Those of working age

• Slightly outnumber older people (58% are of working age)
• Generally older (76% are 35 or older).

In general:

• Slightly over half of people have dependent children (55%)
• Children are mostly Pre-school or Primary age (65%).

Age

• A fifth are under 20 (21%).
• A slightly larger number are 65 or over (25%).
• There are 3.4% more female than male.

Age of Arrival in the UK

It is probably fair to assume that most who were not born in the UK are of older working age with dependent children.

Education, labour market and travel to work

Distance Travelled to Work or Study

• Most people (53%) work or study at home or close to it.
• Only about a third or less get as far as the major city Edinburgh (33%).

Economic Activity

• Most people are in Full/Part-time work or are Self-employed (58%).
• Less than a third are Retired (30%).
• There are relatively few Students (5%).

Highest Level of Qualification

• A well educated people with more than half holding a HNC/HND or equivalent, or degree or higher qualification (54% in total, a large majority at degree or higher level).

Industry that people work in

• A third work in public services (34%) with NHS Social care and Education topping the chart, and about a fifth in traditional industries (20%).

Method of travel to work

• About one in ten people walk to work (9%).
• More than a third work from home (37%).
• Most people – almost a half – drive to work or are a passenger in a car/van (49%).
• Virtually no one cycles to work – about 1 in a 100 (1.3%).

Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion

Country of Birth

• Not unsuprisingly, a large majority of people were born in Scotland (59%).
• Only a sixth were born in England (17%) despite this area being in the region closest to the border.
• About a third of the English number (6%) were born outside the UK – EU countries being by far the largest contributor.

Incidentally, only 16% of people do not have a passport – we’re well travelled!

Religion

• By far the most popular “Religion” is No religion (58%).
• Christianity comes second, being named by a third of people (34%).
• Within Christianity by far the most popular sect is Church of Scotland – named by two thirds of those claiming Christianity as their religion.
• Pagan (0.4%) just pips Buddhist (0.3%) and Muslim (0.2%) in the less popular Religions.

Housing

• A large majority live in houses rather than flats (77%).
• More than half of those houses are detached.

Number of cars/vans

• A very large majority of households have at least one car or van (84%).
• A substantial number have more than one car or van (42%).

Central Heating

• Whilst only a very small number of households have no central heating (2%) it’s still surprising that this figure isn’t 0.
• A huge reliance on fossil fuels Gas and Oil (76%).
• Much more efficient and evironmentally friendly (particularly in green energy rich Scotland), Heat pumps were still only used by 3% when the Census was taken in 2022.

Household tenure

• A large majority own their properties outright, or via a mortgage (71%).
• About one in seven enjoy Social Rented Council or Housing Association accomodation (15%).
• A relative minority are subject to Private rental (11%).

Source

Scotland’s Census, 2022 dataset.