Rural depopulation 'not inevitable', contends Highland green MSP
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Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands region, has responded to Highland Council’s assessment of the 2022 Census figures by urging action to avoid rural areas being “drained of people”.
Commenting following Highland Council’s publication of a report on depopulation prompted by the 2022 Census results, Ms Burgess said: “Depopulation isn’t inevitable for our rural areas.
"Places like Orkney have shown that our rural and island communities can be attractive destinations for young people to live, as well as older people to retire to.
“The employers I meet in the Highlands are keen to grow and expand but struggle to recruit and house workers.
"That’s why Greens in Government have pushed for an increase in the number of homes being built in rural areas and secured funding to support communities who want to take the lead on building their own housing.
"Two or three houses can make the difference between a community surviving or thriving. The Nature Restoration Fund and Carbon Neutral Islands project are also supporting the creation of high-quality, rural jobs that help communities tackle the climate and nature emergencies.”
The report states that natural change in Highland was negative (more deaths than births) between 2011 and 2018: "Migration into the region is therefore the key driver of population change, and the nature and extent of this varies substantially across the region, impacting demographic changes.
"Younger age groups are decreasing in numbers, whilst the older age groups are growing. Between 2001 and 2021, the 0 to 15 age group in Highland saw a decrease of -6.7%. The 75+ age group saw an increase of +60.6%. The age structure within areas is critical to growing and sustaining communities.
"The older population structure of the Highlands and Islands has been linked to its attractiveness as a retirement destination. Due to the natural ageing of the population and in-migration of people aged 65+, numbers in this age group have grown considerably.
"Reflecting this, dependency ratios – the number of dependents (under 16’s and over 65’s) per 100 people of working age (16-64)) across the region are higher than the national average and projected to increase significantly.
"The employment rate of those aged 65+ has shown a slight increase, so there is significant potential for growth in the employment rate of older people."
The council is currently working with other Highlands and Islands local authorities as part of an HIE-led Housing Task Force to look into more innovative ways of delivering employment related housing – an essential pre-requisite for further economic growth and to deal with the population challenges.
