City of Edinburgh: local statistics
City of Edinburgh is a council area in Scotland, home to an estimated 531,370 people (mid-2025). This page brings together 8 official figures for the area, each with its period, publisher and the address it was read from. See also who has power over City of Edinburgh, from the council up to the G20.
Key figures
What the figures show
HM Land Registry puts the average price of a home in City of Edinburgh at £303,965 for July 2026, up 4.0% on a year before. It ranks as the 2nd highest of the 32 council areas in Scotland; the average for Scotland was £196,349. Prices are 57% above July 2016 and at their highest July level in the series. Dividing the average price by the median annual pay of full-time employees living in City of Edinburgh (£43,169) gives a ratio of 7.0. That ratio is the 2nd highest ratio in Scotland.
In March 2026, 23,615 VAT or PAYE-registered businesses were based in City of Edinburgh, 3% more than in 2016. That is 44 for every 1,000 residents, 11th of 32 in Scotland, counting from the highest.
In mid-2025 the population of City of Edinburgh was estimated at 531,370, down 0.1% on mid-2024. Over ten years, since mid-2015, it has grown by 8.4%; Scotland grew by 3.6% over the same years, the 4th fastest growth of 32 in Scotland. The series peaked at 532,070 in mid-2024.
An estimated 80.7% of people aged 16 to 64 living in City of Edinburgh were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, according to the ONS Annual Population Survey, with a margin of error of 3.2 points either way; the figure for Scotland was 74.6%. Its lowest reading in the series was 72.3% and its highest 82.2%.
Median weekly pay for full-time employees who live in City of Edinburgh was £819.80 in April 2025, or £43,169 over a year. That is 5.7% above the figure for Scotland and the 7th highest of 32 in Scotland. Jobs based in City of Edinburgh paid a median £833.40 a week, £13.60 more than the figure for people who live there. In 2015 the residents' median was £555.30, so it has risen 48% before inflation.
A girl born in City of Edinburgh in 2022 to 2024 could expect to live 82.2 years and a boy 78.3 years, on the ONS's period measure (Scotland: 81.1 and 77.2). Since 2012 to 2014 it has changed by +0.1 years for women and +0.5 for men. It is the 11th highest for women of the 32 council areas in Scotland.
2.8% of City of Edinburgh residents aged 16 to 64 (10,370 people) were on the claimant count in August 2026; the rate for Scotland was 3.2%. A year earlier the rate was 2.5%. Since August 2021 the rate has ranged between 2.3% (January 2024) and 4.0% (August 2021).
History
Population (mid-year)
| 2015 | 490,280 |
| 2016 | 496,200 |
| 2017 | 500,770 |
| 2018 | 503,920 |
| 2019 | 508,280 |
| 2020 | 509,550 |
| 2021 | 505,750 |
| 2022 | 514,570 |
| 2023 | 526,660 |
| 2024 | 532,070 |
| 2025 | 531,370 |
Average house price (same month each year)
| July 2016 | £193,105 |
| July 2017 | £207,434 |
| July 2018 | £222,173 |
| July 2019 | £232,829 |
| July 2020 | £247,497 |
| July 2021 | £263,383 |
| July 2022 | £277,331 |
| July 2023 | £275,868 |
| July 2024 | £276,308 |
| July 2025 | £292,340 |
| July 2026 | £303,965 |
Median weekly pay, residents
| 2015 | £555.30 a week |
| 2016 | £559.70 a week |
| 2017 | £583.80 a week |
| 2018 | £578.90 a week |
| 2019 | £617.60 a week |
| 2020 | £639.40 a week |
| 2021 | £635.40 a week |
| 2022 | £658.00 a week |
| 2023 | £737.70 a week |
| 2024 | £782.00 a week |
| 2025 | £819.80 a week |
Employment rate
| 2015/16 | 72.3% |
| 2016/17 | 72.8% |
| 2017/18 | 75.5% |
| 2018/19 | 77.7% |
| 2019/20 | 75.1% |
| 2020/21 | 75.7% |
| 2021/22 | 78.0% |
| 2022/23 | 80.6% |
| 2023/24 | 80.2% |
| 2024/25 | 82.2% |
| 2025/26 | 80.7% |
Life expectancy, women
| 2012 to 2014 | 82.1 years |
| 2013 to 2015 | 82.2 years |
| 2014 to 2016 | 82.2 years |
| 2015 to 2017 | 82.3 years |
| 2016 to 2018 | 82.2 years |
| 2017 to 2019 | 82.4 years |
| 2018 to 2020 | 82.3 years |
| 2019 to 2021 | 82.3 years |
| 2020 to 2022 | 82.1 years |
| 2021 to 2023 | 82.0 years |
| 2022 to 2024 | 82.2 years |
Registered businesses
| 2016 | 22,925 |
| 2017 | 23,530 |
| 2018 | 23,745 |
| 2019 | 24,400 |
| 2020 | 24,660 |
| 2021 | 23,875 |
| 2022 | 23,400 |
| 2023 | 22,880 |
| 2024 | 23,035 |
| 2025 | 23,420 |
| 2026 | 23,615 |
Questions about City of Edinburgh
What is the average house price in City of Edinburgh?
£303,965 in July 2026, on HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index (+4.0% on a year).
What is the population of City of Edinburgh?
The ONS estimates 531,370 people lived in City of Edinburgh in mid-2025.
What is the average salary in City of Edinburgh?
Median pay for full-time employees living in City of Edinburgh was £819.80 a week in April 2025 (£43,169 a year), from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
What is life expectancy in City of Edinburgh?
For 2022 to 2024 the ONS gives 78.3 years for men and 82.2 for women.
How many people claim unemployment-related benefits in City of Edinburgh?
The ONS claimant count was 10,370 in August 2026, 2.8% of 16 to 64-year-olds. It counts benefit claims, not unemployment.
Who has power over City of Edinburgh
Every body that makes decisions for City of Edinburgh, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 3: Local councils
- City of Edinburgh council spending, reserves, debt and council tax
- City of Edinburgh in official figures this page
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government makes law for Scotland on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- Edinburgh East and Musselburgh: Chris Murray (Labour) MP
- Edinburgh North and Leith: Tracy Gilbert (Labour) MP
- Edinburgh South: Ian Murray (Labour) MP
- Edinburgh South West: Dr Scott Arthur (Labour) MP
- Edinburgh West: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
Each value above links to the official file or query it was read from, on 14 October 2026. What each figure measures.
- Average house price: Scottish figures come from Registers of Scotland.
More on this area and these figures
- Council money: spending, reserves and debt
- Figures for Scotland
- UK figures: UK average house price · UK population · UK employment rate
- Other council areas in Scotland: Aberdeenshire · Fife · Glasgow City · Highland · North Lanarkshire · South Lanarkshire
Related questions
- What is the average house price in my area?
- What is the population of my area?
- What is the average salary in my area?
- How healthy is my area?
- Which council am I in?
Figures checked 14 October 2026. Link moved or figure out of date? Tell us.