Why Renfrewshire is growing

More than 3,000 European citizens moving to Renfrewshire have helped Scotland’s population boom, according to new figures.

National Records of Scotland data reveals 3,198 people from the European Economic Area (EEA) have helped swell the country’s population to a record high of 5,404,700.

The data, based on the latest 2011 census figures, shows how many people born in the EEA live in every local authority.

The highest number, 7.2 per cent of the population, are in Aberdeen City with the lowest 0.9 per cent in East Ayrshire.

Renfrewshire’s 3,198 migrants make up 1.8 per cent of the area’s 174,908 population, dwarfing neighbouring East Renfrewshire’s 1,197 EEA citizens out of a total 90,574 people, equivalent to only 1.3 per cent.

And statistics show that 67per cent of EEA-born residents in Scotland aged 16 and over were in employment compared to 58 per cent of the total population of Scotland aged 16 and over.

While EEA-born residents in Scotland between 16 -74 years are educated to degree level – 46 per cent – compared to 27 per cent for all people aged 16-74 in Scotland.