Scotland needs newcomers

Scotland’s population will be half a million smaller by 2040 than it would be if control of immigration policy was devolved, restricting economic growth and harming public services, the SNP has claimed.

The party said current projections show Scotland risks being overhauled by smaller European nations such as Ireland and Norway within 20 years because of its “missing half million

The country’s birthrate continues to fall, with just 12,580 births registered in Scotland in the fourth quarter of 2018, the second-lowest 
figure since records began in 1855. Scotland’s population is expected to grow by just 4.4 per cent between now and 2040, slower than Scandinavian countries and Ireland. The number of people of working age went into decline in 2018, and Scotland’s population is ageing faster than the rest of the UK. 

“Scotland urgently needs to grow our population – or we face a demographic timebomb over coming decades that could make it seriously challenging to fund public services like the NHS,” SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scotland-s-population-half-a-million-short-in-20-years-claim-snp-1-4960752