The easiest figure to use is the population of the City of Edinburgh Council area, which includes the city itself and surrounding areas.
Population of Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a population of around 523,250 people.
That makes it the second-largest city in Scotland, behind Glasgow.
This figure refers to people living within the City of Edinburgh council area, the boundary generally used for official population statistics.
Population of Scotland
Scotland’s population was estimated at 5,546,900 in mid-2024.
Therefore, Edinburgh accounts for roughly 9.4% of Scotland’s population.
So almost one in every ten people in Scotland lives in Edinburgh.
That may give a better sense of the city’s size than the raw population figure.
Is Glasgow Bigger Than Edinburgh?
Yes. Glasgow remains Scotland’s largest city.
Glasgow has a population of around 617,794, compared with Edinburgh’s 523,250. That works out at roughly 11.1% of Scotland’s population, compared with Edinburgh’s 9.4%.
The difference is noticeable, although perhaps not as large as some people imagine.
Edinburgh and Glasgow are only about 42 miles apart, and between them they dominate much of Scotland’s economic and cultural life. Add in the towns and communities of the wider Central Belt and a substantial proportion of Scotland’s population lives within relatively easy reach of one or the other.
Edinburgh Is Bigger Than the Numbers Suggest
Population isn’t everything.
Edinburgh may be smaller than Glasgow, but as Scotland’s capital it has an influence well beyond its half-million or so residents. It is home to the Scottish Parliament, major universities, financial institutions and some of the country’s most important cultural organisations.
Then there are the visitors.
Tourism and the Edinburgh Festivals can make the city feel considerably more crowded than its official population suggests, something anyone walking along Princes Street or the Royal Mile in August will probably appreciate.
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