SCOTLAND’S population is forecast to shrink by almost a fifth over the next 50 years as its economic growth lags consistently behind the UK’s, Holyrood’s budget watchdog has said. Assuming low inward migration because of Brexit, the SFC forecast Scotland’s population would shrink considerably, with fewer working age people available to pay the taxes needed to support a growing elderly population. That compares to a 400,000-person increase in Scotland’s population since the late 1990s. On current trends, the proportion of Scotland’s population aged 65 and over will increase from 20% today to 32% by 2072. "With an ageing population, Scotland and indeed the whole of the UK needs immigration in order to flourish.

Source: The Herald August 30, 2022 22:08 UTC