Factfile - Population
Island Populations
Information for all Scotland 's Inhabited Islands which meet the Census data criteria can be found on the NRS website Scotland’s Census 2001 – Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Maps detailing all the islands and their locations are also available.
Outer Hebrides
The direct link to the detailed map for the Outer Hebrides is Scottish Inhabited Islands – Map 2 .
Consideration of the change in resident population from 1981 to 2001 in terms of island group areas illustrates the severity of population change in particular locations in the Outer Hebrides . The most significant population decrease between 1981 and 1991 was in Harris (these figures include the island of Scalpay ) representing a fall in population of 11%. Whilst Harris experienced the same rate of decline between 1991 and 2001, Barra and Vatersay also saw a decline of 11% over the same time period whilst figures for South Uist (which includes the island of Eriskay ) report the highest drop in population of 15%. Island areas are shown on the map below.
Outer Hebrides Island Area - Resident Population Change 1981 to 2001
Area |
1991 Total |
Change 81-91 |
% |
2001 Total |
Change 91-01 |
% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lewis |
20,159 |
-561 |
-3 |
18,489 |
-1,670 |
-8 |
Harris |
2,222 |
-267 |
-11 |
1,984 |
-238 |
-11 |
North Uist |
1,815 |
+12 |
+1 |
1,657 |
-158 |
-9 |
Benbecula |
1,803 |
-84 |
-4 |
1,249 |
-554 |
-31 |
South Uist |
2,285 |
-147 |
-6 |
1,951 |
-334 |
-15 |
Barra & Vatersay |
1,316 |
-55 |
-4 |
1,172 |
-144 |
-11 |
Totals |
29,600 |
-1,102 |
- |
26,502 |
3,098 |
-10 |
(Source: National Records of Scotland)
Note: Areas are amalgamation of other geographies including other islands. These are not the same as single inhabited islands as defined by the NRS and detailed in the large Table below.
Population by Island Areas
Area |
1951 |
1961 |
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lewis |
23,731 |
21,937 |
20,326 |
20,720 |
20,159 |
18,489 |
Harris |
3,991 |
3,285 |
2,879 |
2,489 |
2,222 |
1,984 |
North Uist |
2,221 |
1,925 |
1,726 |
1,803 |
1,815 |
1,657 |
Benbecula |
924 |
1,358 |
1,355 |
1,887 |
1,803 |
1,249 |
South Uist |
2,840 |
2,637 |
2,517 |
2,432 |
2,285 |
1,951 |
Barra & Vatersay |
1,884 |
1,467 |
1,088 |
1,371 |
1,316 |
1,172 |
Total |
35,591 |
32,609 |
29,891 |
30,702 |
29,600 |
26,502 |
(Source: National Records of Scotland)
Note: Figures for 1951 to 1981 are ' persons present ' whilst 1981 and 1991 and 2001 are ' persons resident '.
Population of Inhabited Islands 1951 to 2001*
Inhabited Islands |
1951 |
1961 |
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
%Change 51-01 |
%Change 91- 01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lewis |
23,344 |
21,614 |
20,047 |
21,253 |
19,634 |
18,256 |
-22 |
-7 |
Bernera |
384 |
317 |
276 |
292 |
267 |
233 |
-39 |
-13 |
Flannan Islands |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Harris |
3,121 |
2,493 |
2,175 |
2,137 |
1,866 |
1,662 |
-47 |
-11 |
Berneray |
246 |
201 |
131 |
134 |
140 |
136 |
-45 |
-3 |
Ensay |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Killegray |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Pabbay |
2 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
St Kilda |
0 |
65 |
65 |
46 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Scalpay |
541 |
470 |
483 |
461 |
388 |
322 |
-40 |
-17 |
Scarp |
74 |
46 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Taransay |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
North Uist |
1,890 |
1,620 |
1,469 |
1,454 |
1,386 |
1,271 |
-33 |
-8 |
Baleshare |
75 |
59 |
64 |
66 |
52 |
49 |
-35 |
-6 |
Boreray |
7 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Grimsay |
236 |
239 |
193 |
206 |
211 |
201 |
-15 |
-5 |
Kirkibost |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Leiravay |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Vallay |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
South Uist |
2,462 |
2,376 |
2,281 |
2,223 |
2,064 |
1,818 |
-26 |
-12 |
Benbecula |
924 |
1,358 |
1,355 |
1,988 |
1,883 |
1,249 |
+35 |
-34 |
Eilean na Cille |
4 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Eriskay |
330 |
231 |
219 |
219 |
173 |
133 |
-60 |
-23 |
Flodday |
17 |
14 |
9 |
9 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Grimsay |
22 |
13 |
4 |
12 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Sunamul |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Barra |
1,728 |
1,369 |
1,005 |
1,232 |
1,212 |
1,078 |
-38 |
-11 |
Berneray |
5 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
U |
U |
U |
Vatersay |
151 |
95 |
77 |
108 |
70 |
94 |
-38 |
+34 |
* Figures for 1951-1991 are ' persons present ' . Figures for 2001 are ' persons resident ' .
N/A - Comparable figures not available U - Uninhabited
(Source: National Records of Scotland)
The overall trend in population decline seen at the Outer Hebrides level is reflected across individual islands. Islands such as Eriskay, Harris and Berneray have seen a particularly marked decline in population in the last 50 years. On Benebcula changes in military presence have had a considerable impact on the island's population in recent history. In the last 10 years the trend of decline has continued with one notable exception, the island of Vatersay which has seen a population increase of 34% between 1991 and 2001. In actual numbers this amounts to an increase in 24 people.
Note on Island Definitions
Based on the table above and shown in the map, there are 13 islands in the Outer Hebrides, which had persons resident in 2001. However for the purposes of Census analysis (SCROL etc) only 11 of these are considered to be ' Inhabited Islands ' . Firstly, for Census purposes Lewis and Harris are treated as one island, which is geographically correct. They have been separated in the above table and elsewhere in the factfile to achieve more appropriate local area analysis. Culturally, socially and environmentally, they are often considered by islanders to be as separate as if they were two different landmasses. Secondly, for reasons of confidentiality the Census operates minimum threshold criteria on the smallest level of geography for which information is available. The island of Baleshare falls just below this threshold and therefore information specific to the island cannot be released as part of the Census. Instead the data is amalgamated with figures for North Uist.
