Scotland: Population characteristics
Scotland's population size is 5,295,403
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- Learning disabilities
- Autism
Scotland's Census, 2011, reported 26,349 people to have learning disabilities (15,149 males and 11,200 females), which is 0.5% of Scotland's population. This page provides further breakdowns of the population with learning disabilities. Our report describes in more details the numbers and percentages of people with learning disabilities, and why these can and do vary over time and geography.
Scotland's policy makers, and local health, social, and education commissioners and providers, have to make plans for the whole of Scotland, and for each locality, to support the needs of people with autism. It is therefore important that detailed breakdowns of population characteristics are available.
Population by age and gender
| All people | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Female | Male | Total |
| 0-15 | 447,225 | 469,106 | 916,331 |
| 16-24 | 315,605 | 316,883 | 632,488 |
| 25-34 | 338,720 | 328,607 | 667,327 |
| 35-44 | 377,084 | 357,670 | 734,754 |
| 45-54 | 402,239 | 384,517 | 786,756 |
| 55-64 | 340,491 | 326,922 | 667,413 |
| 65-74 | 256,430 | 225,362 | 481,792 |
| 75+ | 250,165 | 158,377 | 408,542 |
| All ages | 2,727,959 | 2,567,444 | 5,295,403 |
| People with learning disabilities | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | Total | |||
| 1,981 | 0.4% | 3,253 | 0.7% | 5,234 | 0.6% |
| 1,661 | 0.5% | 2,501 | 0.8% | 4,162 | 0.7% |
| 1,450 | 0.4% | 2,025 | 0.6% | 3,475 | 0.5% |
| 1,650 | 0.4% | 2,209 | 0.6% | 3,859 | 0.5% |
| 1,845 | 0.5% | 2,456 | 0.6% | 4,301 | 0.5% |
| 1,324 | 0.4% | 1,539 | 0.5% | 2,863 | 0.4% |
| 762 | 0.3% | 805 | 0.4% | 1,567 | 0.3% |
| 527 | 0.2% | 361 | 0.2% | 888 | 0.2% |
| 11,200 | 0.4% | 15,149 | 0.6% | 26,349 | 0.5% |
| People with learning disabilities | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Female | Male | Total | |||
| 0-15 | 1,981 | 0.4% | 3,253 | 0.7% | 5,234 | 0.6% |
| 16-24 | 1,661 | 0.5% | 2,501 | 0.8% | 4,162 | 0.7% |
| 25-34 | 1,450 | 0.4% | 2,025 | 0.6% | 3,475 | 0.5% |
| 35-44 | 1,650 | 0.4% | 2,209 | 0.6% | 3,859 | 0.5% |
| 45-54 | 1,845 | 0.5% | 2,456 | 0.6% | 4,301 | 0.5% |
| 55-64 | 1,324 | 0.4% | 1,539 | 0.5% | 2,863 | 0.4% |
| 65-74 | 762 | 0.3% | 805 | 0.4% | 1,567 | 0.3% |
| 75+ | 527 | 0.2% | 361 | 0.2% | 888 | 0.2% |
| All ages | 11,200 | 0.4% | 15,149 | 0.6% | 26,349 | 0.5% |
Number of people with learning disabilities by age group
Proportion of people with learning disabilities by age group
Proportion of people with learning disabilities by age group compared with the general population
Number of people with learning disabilities by gender
Proportion of males by age group
Proportion of males and females by age group
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Summary information
0.5% of people in Scotland have learning disabilities, that’s 26,340 people
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Prevalence of learning disabilities ranges from 0.4 - 0.6% across Scotland
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Prevalence of learning disabilities is lower in older age groups
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The proportion of men differs between people with learning disabilities and the general population in younger age groups
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More males than females have learning disabilities
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