Population pyramids

On this page the age structure of Glasgow’s population in 1901 is compared to its current age structure in 2020.

Age structure of Glasgow’s population, 1901
pop pyramid age sex Glas 1901
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Glasgow’s population has changed considerably over the last century in terms of size and of age structure, as the graphs illustrate. In 1901, more than half of Glasgow’s population was under 25 years of age and the city’s population was still growing. However, life expectancy was much lower than it is now - only 3% of the population were aged 65 or older.

Age structure of Glasgow’s population, 2021
Age pyramid 2021
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A hundred and twenty years later, in 2021, the size and structure of Glasgow’s population has changed significantly. Glasgow’s current population of 635,130 is 140,000 lower than it was in 1901. Children make up a much smaller proportion of the city’s population - children aged 14 or under constitute 15% of the overall population, compared to 32% in 1901. There are also more older people; in 2020, 14% of Glaswegians were 65 years of age or older, compared to 3% in 1901. 

As has been the case throughout Glasgow’s history, women outnumber men overall (by 10,000), and most notably in older age groups.

Additional Resources

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    Thursday, 26 May 2011

    Your Better Life Index

    A new, interactive index allowing users to measure and compare their lives.
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    Sunday, 1 November 2009

    Miniature Glasgow - Video

    An extension of the GCPH's work profiling Glasgow's health, produced in collaboration with the International Future Forum.
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    Monday, 3 April 2006

    Let Glasgow Flourish

    A comprehensive report on health and its determinants in Glasgow and West Central Scotland
View more Resources »