Population - Data
Total Population
98,260 people live in Midlothian (National Records of Scotland 2023).
This is an increase of 1.3% from 97,040 in 2022. Over the same period, the population of Scotland increased by 0.8%.
Projected Population
125,300 people may live in Midlothian by 2036 (Midlothian Council 2023)
This would be an increase of 27% from 2023 - 2036. The National Records of Scotland estimates an increase of 15.1% from 2018 to 2029.
Midlothian is projected to have the 22nd highest population out of the 32 council areas in Scotland in 2028.
All estimates are based on assumptions about future migration and birth rates. The National Records of Scotland estimate is lower as it does not consider the Scottish Government’s Minimum All Tenure Housing Land Requirement for Midlothian - this will allocate housing land for a minimum of 8,850 new homes in Midlothian between 2026-2036.
Source: National Records of Scotland, 2023 [Accessed August 2024]
Age
Between 2018 and 2029, each age group increased in size (National Records of Scotland, 2023).
The largest absolute increase is expected in the 30-44 age group, which is projected to overtake the 45-59 group and become the largest of the age groups.
The largest proportional increase is expected in the 75+ age group (+44%).
Data source: Scotland's Census [Accessed Sept 2024]
Sex
Until the age of 29 there are slightly more males than females.
From the age of 30 there are more females in each age group. Over 56% of the 75 plus age group are females.
Data source: National Records of Scotland [Accessed: Sept 2024]
Gender identities
0.29% of people in Midlothian identify as trans or have a trans history, this is less than 0.44% of people in Scotland (Scotland’s Census 2022).
Sexual orientation
89.7% of people in Midlothian are heterosexual,
3.1% of people in Midlothian are gay, lesbian, bisexual or another sexual orientation (Census 2022)
Source : Scotland Census 2022
Ethnicity
- 82.4% - White Scottish (77.7% in Scotland)
- 7.8% - White Other British (9.4% in Scotland)
- 9.8% - Minority ethnic group’ (this refers to all other ethnic groups including Irish, Polish, Gypsy/Traveller, Roma and Showman/Showwoman). (12.9% in Scotland)
(Census 2022)
Religion or Belief
In Scotland in 2022, 51.1% of people had no religion, 20.4% responded ‘Church of Scotland’, the next largest religious groups were ‘Roman Catholic’ (13.3%), ‘Other Christian’ (5.1%) and ‘Muslim’ (2.2%).
60% of Lothian’s adult population said they had no religion, an increase from 47% in 2011. All four local authorities had higher proportions of the population responding that they had no religion compared with Scotland. Midlothian had the highest percentage of non-religious people (64%).
Marriage and Civil Partnership
319 - Marriages in Midlothian (2021). This is a decrease from 701 in 2005
Civil Partnerships have also declined since their introduction in 2005, averaging 5 per year from 2006-2014 and recording 5 in total from 2015-2021 (National Records of Scotland, 2023).
Pregnancy and maternity
Births per 1,000 population for Midlothian and Scotland from 1991-2021
Data source: National Records of Scotland
Data source: National Records of Scotland [accessed Feb 2024]
In 2021, there were 1,071 births in Midlothian (National Records of Scotland, 2023). This is an increase of 9.4% from 979 births in 2020.
In Midlothian, the standardised birth rate increased from 10.8 per 1,000 population in 2020 to 11.7 in 2021.
In comparison, the rate in Scotland overall increased from 8.6 to 8.7 (National Records of Scotland, 2023).
In 2021, Midlothian was the council area with the highest standardised birth rate (National Records of Scotland, 2023).
Page updated: January 2026