Population statistics

The most recent figures on population for local authority areas come from the first outputs of the 2022 census which estimated that Aberdeenshire’s population was 263,900. This is an increase of 4.3% since the previous census in 2011. 

This page provides more detailed information on Aberdeenshire’s population from estimates provided annually by National Records of Scotland. 

You can find out about:

• Aberdeenshire total population by year
• Population of wards and administrative areas
• Population of towns and villages
• Population and household estimates and projections

Aberdeenshire total population by year

In 2021 Aberdeenshire’s population was 262,690. This was an increase of 1,910 people (0.7% increase) since 2020 and was due primarily to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to people moving out of cities and into more rural areas as workplaces closed, and home working became common. There was a corresponding decrease of 0.7% in the population of Aberdeen City over the same period. Prior to 2021 the population of Aberdeenshire had fallen for four consecutive years after a long period of rapid growth up until 2014/15.

Population of wards and administrative areas 2021

Population of towns and villages 2020

You can also view figures for Aberdeenshire towns and villages with a population greater than 500 people (PDF 118KB).

Population and household estimates and projections

More detail about population and households for Aberdeenshire and Scotland including projected change in the future can be found on the National Records of Scotland (NRS) website.  You can also view:

• Population estimates
• Population projections
• Household estimates
• Household projections