South Lanarkshire: local statistics
South Lanarkshire is a council area in Scotland, home to an estimated 334,330 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 South Lanarkshire, from the council up to the G20.
Key figures
What the figures show
11,490 businesses were registered for VAT or PAYE in South Lanarkshire in March 2026, 4% more than in 2016. That is 34 for every 1,000 residents, close to the middle of all 32 council areas in Scotland (17th highest).
The ONS estimates that 334,330 people lived in South Lanarkshire in mid-2025, a change of +0.4% in a year. Over ten years, since mid-2015, it has grown by 5.1% (Scotland: +3.6%). That is the 8th fastest growth of all 32 council areas in Scotland. The mid-2025 estimate is the highest in the series.
Median weekly pay for full-time employees who live in South Lanarkshire was £798.30 in April 2025, or £41,126 over a year. It is the 8th highest of all 32 council areas in Scotland, and 2.9% more than across Scotland. Jobs based in South Lanarkshire paid a median £758.40 a week, £39.90 less than the figure for people who live there. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was £530.10: a change of +51% before inflation.
A girl born in South Lanarkshire in 2022 to 2024 could expect to live 80.5 years and a boy 76.8 years, on the ONS's period measure (Scotland: 81.1 and 77.2). Since 2012 to 2014 it has changed by -0.3 years for women and +0.1 for men. It is the 23rd highest for women of 32 in Scotland.
HM Land Registry puts the average price of a home in South Lanarkshire at £185,267 for July 2026, a rise of 4.1% in twelve months. It ranks as close to the middle of all 32 council areas in Scotland (16th highest); the average for Scotland was £196,349. Prices are 57% above July 2016 and at their highest July level in the series. The average price is 4.5 times the median annual pay of full-time employees who live in South Lanarkshire. That ratio is 20th of 32 in Scotland, counting from the highest ratio.
In August 2026, 5,825 people in South Lanarkshire were on the claimant count, 2.8% of residents aged 16 to 64; the rate for Scotland was 3.2%. A year earlier the rate was 2.6%. Since August 2021 the rate has ranged between 2.4% (December 2025) and 4.9% (August 2021).
The Annual Population Survey estimates that 76.2% of South Lanarkshire residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, with a margin of error of 4.0 points either way; the figure for Scotland was 74.6%. Over the 11 years shown it ranged from 72.5% to 80.7%.
History
Population (mid-year)
| 2015 | 318,110 |
| 2016 | 319,050 |
| 2017 | 320,480 |
| 2018 | 321,320 |
| 2019 | 323,120 |
| 2020 | 323,620 |
| 2021 | 325,390 |
| 2022 | 327,460 |
| 2023 | 330,930 |
| 2024 | 333,070 |
| 2025 | 334,330 |
Average house price (same month each year)
| July 2016 | £117,835 |
| July 2017 | £121,896 |
| July 2018 | £127,157 |
| July 2019 | £128,027 |
| July 2020 | £131,142 |
| July 2021 | £146,324 |
| July 2022 | £163,518 |
| July 2023 | £164,030 |
| July 2024 | £167,472 |
| July 2025 | £177,907 |
| July 2026 | £185,267 |
Median weekly pay, residents
| 2015 | £530.10 a week |
| 2016 | £536.70 a week |
| 2017 | £562.60 a week |
| 2018 | £574.90 a week |
| 2019 | £580.80 a week |
| 2020 | £620.80 a week |
| 2021 | £651.00 a week |
| 2022 | £652.10 a week |
| 2023 | £729.60 a week |
| 2024 | £747.50 a week |
| 2025 | £798.30 a week |
Employment rate
| 2015/16 | 75.4% |
| 2016/17 | 75.5% |
| 2017/18 | 74.1% |
| 2018/19 | 75.8% |
| 2019/20 | 77.7% |
| 2020/21 | 76.0% |
| 2021/22 | 78.1% |
| 2022/23 | 80.7% |
| 2023/24 | 77.5% |
| 2024/25 | 72.5% |
| 2025/26 | 76.2% |
Life expectancy, women
| 2012 to 2014 | 80.8 years |
| 2013 to 2015 | 80.8 years |
| 2014 to 2016 | 80.7 years |
| 2015 to 2017 | 80.7 years |
| 2016 to 2018 | 80.7 years |
| 2017 to 2019 | 81.1 years |
| 2018 to 2020 | 80.5 years |
| 2019 to 2021 | 80.5 years |
| 2020 to 2022 | 80.1 years |
| 2021 to 2023 | 80.3 years |
| 2022 to 2024 | 80.5 years |
Registered businesses
| 2016 | 11,055 |
| 2017 | 11,385 |
| 2018 | 11,235 |
| 2019 | 11,360 |
| 2020 | 11,350 |
| 2021 | 11,245 |
| 2022 | 11,270 |
| 2023 | 11,215 |
| 2024 | 11,230 |
| 2025 | 11,345 |
| 2026 | 11,490 |
Questions about South Lanarkshire
What is the population of South Lanarkshire?
The ONS estimates 334,330 people lived in South Lanarkshire in mid-2025.
What is the average salary in South Lanarkshire?
£798.30 a week before tax, the median for full-time employees who live there (April 2025, ONS).
What is life expectancy in South Lanarkshire?
For 2022 to 2024 the ONS gives 76.8 years for men and 80.5 for women.
What is the average house price in South Lanarkshire?
HM Land Registry's figure for July 2026 is £185,267.
How many people claim unemployment-related benefits in South Lanarkshire?
The ONS claimant count was 5,825 in August 2026, 2.8% of 16 to 64-year-olds. It counts benefit claims, not unemployment.
Who has power over South Lanarkshire
Every body that makes decisions for South Lanarkshire, 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
- South Lanarkshire council spending, reserves, debt and council tax
- South Lanarkshire 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
- Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale: David Mundell (Conservative) MP
- East Kilbride and Strathaven: Joani Reid (Labour) MP
- Hamilton and Clyde Valley: Imogen Walker (Labour) MP
- Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke: Pamela Nash (Labour) MP
- Rutherglen: Michael Shanks (Labour) 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 population · UK average weekly earnings growth · Life expectancy at birth (UK)
- Other council areas in Scotland: Aberdeen City · Aberdeenshire · Fife · Highland · North Lanarkshire · Renfrewshire
Related questions
- What is the population of my area?
- What is the average salary in my area?
- How healthy is my area?
- What is the average house price in my area?
- How do I check my council tax band?
Figures checked 14 October 2026. Link moved or figure out of date? Tell us.