EXCLUSIVE by DOUG COLLIE
Statistics published by National Records of Scotland [NRS] have revealed that the median age of the 117,000 people living in the Scottish Borders has passed 50 for the first time, giving the region one of the highest age profiles in the country, and almost eight years above the Scottish figure.
The 50.14 median for the Borders in mid-2021 means half of the population are older than that figure, and the other half are younger. Only neighbouring Dumfries & Galloway (50.74) and Argyll & Bute (50.63) have a higher age profile in mainland Scotland while the national median stands at 42.98.
It seems likely the Borders median age will have increased even further since 2021 if the trend between 2012 and 2021 has continued. These are the median ages for the Borders over that period: 2012 - 46.55; 2013 - 46.99; 2014 - 47.44; 2015 - 47.86; 2016 - 48.23; 2017 - 48.59; 2018 - 48.98; 2019 - 49.40; 2020 - 49.77; 2021 - 50.14.
Local health and social work services have been struggling to cope with an ageing population for many years. The latest set of very detailed statistics suggests the issue of caring for the elderly will continue well into the future.
Despite the increase in state pension age from 60 to 66 for women, and from 65 to 66 for men, the number of pensioners resident in the Borders has increased from 28,329 in 2012 to 28,682 in 2021.
NRS estimates there are 1,293 men and women aged 90 or over living in the Scottish Borders Council area compared to just 163 in 2011. The total of 85-year-olds has increased from 497 to 594 in the same period.
The agency has also revised the 2021 estimate of numbers living in the Borders to reflect new information gleaned from the 2022 census. The original figure of 116,020 has been 're-based' upwards to 117,070.
According to the latest data the area continues to rely on inward migration to boost its population. In 2020/21 there were 841 births and 1,329 deaths registered, representing a natural change of minus 488. The comparable numbers for 2012 were 1,107 births and 1,281 deaths (-174).
The tables depicting inward and outward migration to and from the Borders indicate a total 'inflow' of 5,430 in 2020/21 alongside an 'outflow' of 4,170. There were 3,010 arrivals from the rest of Scotland and 1,960 from other parts of the UK.
At the same time 2,410 people left the area and settled elsewhere in Scotland with 1,340 moving to England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Although the region's population has increased significantly from 101,230 in 1984, and from 105,450 thirty years ago, the population density - numbers of people per square kilometre - stands at only 25 compared to the Scottish average of 68.
Fears expressed in sections of the British press that Scotland's tax regime would result in a mass exodus have proved to be unfounded, according to national migration statistics from NRS.
The report reveals that net migration into Scotland in 2021-22 was substantially higher than any other year in the past decade. Net migration more than doubled between 2020-21 and 2021-22, from 22,200 to 48,800. The next highest figure from the last decade was 28,100 in 2018-19.
"Total migration into Scotland is a combination of international migration and migration from other parts of the UK. The increase in total migration was largely due to an increase in international migration. Average net migration from other parts of the UK has been fairly stable over the last decade, averaging +9,000 people. It was higher in 2021-22, at +12,500 people.
"Most of the increase in total migration in 2021-22 was due to higher levels of international migration. The net figures for international migration increased from 13,300 in 2020-21 to 36,300 in 2021-22. This was due to a combination of more in-migration in the last year, and lower levels of out-migration over the past two years".
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