Capital in good health, latest figures reveal

Figures from the 19th yearly Edinburgh by Numbers show that people living in the Capital spend around 80% of their lives in good health - the largest proportion of any Scottish city – while Edinburgh has the highest employment rate (83.2%) of all major UK cities including London.

Edinburgh by Numbers is collated by the City of Edinburgh Council and is based on data from a variety of sources including the ONS, National Records of Scotland and the Scottish Household Survey.

Highlighting citizens’ wellbeing, the report reveals that Edinburgh has the highest life expectancy of all Scottish cities — 82 years for women and 78 for men – and that 86% of people participate in some kind of sport or fitness activity, including walking. 

However, 17% of the city’s population continues to live in relative poverty, while property prices are rising – Edinburgh’s average property price is higher than the rest of the major UK cities outside London, except for Bristol.

Edinburgh’s population is growing, increasing by 9.4% in the decade leading up to 2024, compared to a national average of 4%. Overseas migration is attributed as the main driver behind the growth – with a net migratory effect over ten times greater than the net effect of births and deaths. Despite its growth, Edinburgh remains a relatively low-density city at 2,015 residents per km² which is well below comparable cities such as Manchester (5,099) and Sheffield (4,755).

Statistics published in Edinburgh by Numbers include: 

• Edinburgh attracted 5 million overnight visits in 2024, generating £2.57 billion in total visitor spend — a 14.3% increase on 2023
• Renewable electricity generation rose from 27.3 GWh in 2019 to a peak of 39.7 GWh in 2023, before dipping to 35.5 GWh in 2024 due to reduced bioenergy output
• The Capital’s median hourly pay is £20.49 – more than any comparable city other than London and over 50% above the UK Real Living Wage
• 17% of the city’s residents live in relative poverty (households whose income is below 60% of UK median income in the same year) though this is below the national average of 21%
• Close to 23,000 new trees were planted in the council area as part of Edinburgh’s Million Tree City project
• Around 60% of trips involve walking or public transport, 68% of short journeys under two miles are made on foot or by bike
• 86% of residents are satisfied with public transport, more than 20 percentage points above the Scottish average
• Edinburgh has the second highest number of higher education students per 1,000 residents (140) of all major UK cities, behind Manchester (148)
• The Capital has 36 Green Flag parks - over twice as many as Sheffield, the city with the next highest number of parks with the award
• 25% of people moving to Scotland from other countries outside the UK come to live in Edinburgh

Council Leader Jane Meagher said:

There’s always so much to learn from Edinburgh by Numbers and this year it shows us just what the city has to offer in terms of quality of life, employment opportunities and environment.

We have more outdoor space than other leading cities while sustainable transport is the norm, with two thirds of short journeys made by foot or bike and Scotland’s highest satisfaction rating for public transport.

Our economic output exceeds comparable cities, employees here receive fair pay and we have a booming higher education sector, all of which are amongst the reasons our population continues to grow at speed, with overseas migration driving the growth.

I am proud that so many people coming to Scotland choose to call the Capital home, demonstrating what an inclusive and welcoming place it is. We’ll be celebrating the positive contribution immigration makes to our city in our new campaign, ‘Edinburgh is our Home’.

Of course, with this popularity comes challenges - housing is in real demand, 17% of the city’s residents still live in relative poverty and the impacts of climate change loom large. As we plan for the future, data from Edinburgh by Numbers will be invaluable to our response to these pressures, from our Net Zero ambitions to the implementation of the Visitor Levy and our ambitious housebuilding programme.