People

After decades of decline the population of Shetland, which had fallen to nearly 17,000 in the mid-1960s, rose by 31% between 1971 and 1981 as a direct result of oil related activity.  Since the 1980s, the population has been fairly stable around 22,000 - 23,000.

Births and Deaths

While there was a steady decline in the number of births in Shetland from 2012-2020, there has been an increase in the past two years.  In relation to the Scottish standardised birth rate, Shetland’s rate is consistently higher, and of the 32 Scottish Council areas, Shetland had the joint 2nd highest birth rate in 2022.

In 2022 Life expectancy at birth in Shetland was higher for females (83.2 years) than for males (79.6 years), both of which are higher than the Scottish average.

The leading causes of death were Cancer, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease, and Ischaemic Heart Diseases.

Migration

After nearly a decade of negative net migration (migration rate per 1,000 people), Shetland had a net migration rate of 5.4 in 2020/21.  This rate was also higher than the Scottish net rate (5.1) for the first time since 2009/10.