Population rises for third year

Economist

I'm not really surprised if I'm honest. We hear all about this population decline and how we're all doomed, but the reality is Scotland's population has declined most years since 1974, and declined faster since 2001 as the General Register Office admitted that they had "over-estimated" Scotland's population by 50,000 every year through the 80's and 90's.

True Scotsman

Well if Scotland's population is growing then it's good for Scotland.

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FREEDOM FOR SCOTLAND!!!!!!!!

Blackleaf

5 million. My God, you are getting big.

Rinty · h

Actually, it just means that we are at the same level as the 1951 census. Zero population growth in more than half a century is quite worrying.

Blackleaf

Between mid-1993 and mid-2003, England’s population grew by 3.6 per cent and the population of Wales grew by 1.9 per cent over the decade. In contrast, Scotland’s population DECREASED by 0.7 per cent.

statistics.gov.uk

England's population wil probably hit the 60 million mark around 2030-2040.

And, according to the website, Scotland's population is projected to decrease still, whereas NI and Wales will hit their peaks around 2030 and England around 2040 -

Reluctant Hero

All things being well, I will have done my bit to add to the Scottish population this year Cool

Aventinian

Well you cannot expect to sustain a growing population indefinitely. It's a rather irresponsible thing to be doing considering the present global situation.

Instead we need to think of better ways to care for our elderly.

azzuri

Reluctant Hero

IF Convenor

But lots of free stuff for the elderly means more economically active people are required to pay for it. I took Av's post to mean we need to find more efficient ways to care for our elderly so that we are not so desperate for people of working age to pay for it.

Aventinian

Indeed, that is what I meant. Unfortunately I don't have any bright ideas.

The free bus pass thing is a scandal. My parents have one - it's never used since they have two cars and probably haven't used public transport since that oft-told story about my father nearly falling out of the back of a London bus in the 70s. Meanwhile I'm sure students and those on lower incomes might actually use it. At any rate, it should be means-tested.

From what I understand, the state effective pays for the buses to run during the day (ie, after 9.30am and before 4.30pm) through the bus pass scheme.

IF Convenor

Means testing is an expensive waste of resources. I believe more is spent on the bureaucracy involved in testing the means and judging the entitlement of claimants than any such scheme would cost if the benefit was freely available to all.

azzuri

Aventinian

You may well have a point there - one that I'd not really considered. Personally I'd do away with them altogether, but then again I realise my views are a little too extreme for the dull socialism of Scotland.