Aberdeen
- Country:
- United Kingdom
- Continent:
- Europe
Aberdeen's 2026 population is now estimated at 215,085. In 2001, the population of Aberdeen was 197,870. Aberdeen has grown by 2,785 in the last year, which represents a 0.22% annual change.
Aberdeen's 2026 population is now estimated at 215,085. In 2001, the population of Aberdeen was 197,870. Aberdeen has grown by 2,785 in the last year, which represents a 0.22% annual change.
Aberdeen is the 3rd largest city in Scotland and the 37th most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Known as the Silver City with the Golden Sands or the Granite City, many of the buildings in the city are made from local grey granite, which sparkles like silver in the sunlight.
Aberdeen has been named as one of the top 60 livable global cities and one of the top 5 livable cities in Britain by Mercer and one of the top eight cities leading the United Kingdom’s economy.
Aberdeen is home to two major universities, and it has strong gas, oil, tourism, and bioscience industries. Aberdeen had an estimated population of 229,000 in 2015. This number has declined in the 2017 mid-year estimates to approximately 228,800 residents. The next official census is planned for 2021 and is planned to be available online.
The population of Aberdeen was estimated at 229,000 in 2015 with a population density of 1,169 people per square kilometer (3,030/square mile). The area in and around Aberdeen has experienced some negative growth recently, so this calculation may have changed somewhat in recent years. The city has an area of 65.1 square kilometers.
Aberdeen’s population is slightly older than Scotland as a whole with 16.4% of the population under 16, compared to the national average of 19%.
The 2011 census found that 92% of the population is ethnically white. 8% of Aberdonians are from a non-white ethnic minority, including 4.3% Asian (1.5% Indian and 1% Chinese). About 2.6% of the population has a Caribbean or African origin. Almost one out of every four people in Aberdeen were born outside of Scotland, which is higher than the national average of 16%. Of them, 7.6% are from other parts of the United Kingdom.
The primary religion in Aberdeen is Christianity at 31% of the population (compared to the national average of 54%). The largest denominations are the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church. There are also several Protestant, Baptist, and Evangelical congregations as well as two meetinghouses for the LDS Church.
Aberdeen was recently ranked as the happiest place in Scotland with a rich culture and very low unemployment.
Aberdeen has the highest share of non-religious people in the country with about 43% of residents claiming no religion. Many former churches in Aberdeen have been converted into restaurants and bars.
98% of the population can and do use English regularly, and often use Scots or Polish languages.
Aberdeen is one of the fastest-growing cities in Scotland. Between 2009 and 2010, the city grew by 1.2% with a growth that accounted for 20% of the growth across the whole country. Over the last 4 years, Aberdeen has experienced growth of almost 12%.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| London | 9,927,020 | 0.88% |
| Manchester | 2,853,370 | 0.73% |
| Birmingham | 2,724,410 | 0.73% |
| Glasgow | 1,730,280 | 0.66% |
| Southampton | 974,131 | 0.76% |
| Liverpool | 935,328 | 0.68% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 839,947 | 0.68% |
| Nottingham | 825,506 | 0.75% |
| Sheffield | 762,277 | 0.73% |
| Bristol | 725,939 | 0.82% |
| Belfast | 656,593 | 0.71% |
| Brighton | 637,322 | 0.77% |
| Leicester | 579,755 | 0.77% |
| Edinburgh | 568,163 | 0.82% |
| Bournemouth | 530,872 | 0.76% |
| Leeds | 516,298 | 1.01% |
| Cardiff | 498,999 | 0.73% |
| Coventry | 458,904 | 0.95% |
| Middlesbrough | 400,118 | 0.65% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 399,450 | 0.66% |
| Bradford | 368,485 | 1.01% |
| Reading | 358,252 | 0.75% |
| Sunderland | 351,353 | 0.63% |
| Preston | 340,779 | 0.69% |
| Birkenhead | 338,036 | 0.61% |
| Kingston upon Hull | 330,607 | 0.64% |
| Newport | 326,945 | 0.66% |
| Swansea | 322,374 | 0.67% |
| Derby | 264,430 | 1% |
| Portsmouth | 248,748 | 1% |
| Plymouth | 240,297 | 1% |
| Wolverhampton | 221,754 | 1.01% |
| York | 210,620 | 1.01% |
| Norwich | 199,245 | 1.01% |
| Peterborough | 179,349 | 1.01% |
| Gloucester | 163,212 | 1.01% |
| Oxford | 161,662 | 1% |
| Cambridge | 149,155 | 1% |
| Blackpool | 145,007 | 1% |
| Exeter | 127,709 | 1.01% |
| Chelmsford | 119,468 | 1.01% |
| Lincoln | 107,434 | 1.01% |
| Bath | 106,009 | 1.01% |
| St Albans | 88,448 | 1.01% |
| Chester | 87,881 | 1% |
| Paisley | 77,250 | 1% |
| Carlisle | 74,536 | 1% |
| Canterbury | 64,495 | 1.02% |
| Scarborough | 61,866 | 1% |
| Dunfermline | 54,640 | 1.01% |
| Torquay | 51,320 | 1% |
| Winchester | 48,818 | 1.01% |
| Inverness | 47,060 | 1% |
| Salisbury | 46,332 | 1% |
| Stirling | 37,670 | 1% |
| Dumfries | 33,290 | 1% |
| Chichester | 31,881 | 1.01% |
| Elgin | 24,080 | 0.99% |
| Sudbury | 23,835 | 1.01% |