THE number of people in Scotland who identify as both Scottish and British has fallen, according to census data.
Official stats published today showed that the number decreased from 18.3 per of the population in 2011 to 8.2 per cent in 2022.
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Meanwhile, the number of those who said their only national identity is Scottish rose from 62.4 per cent to 65.5 over the same period.
And those who said their only national identity is British also increased from 8.4 per cent to 13.9 per cent.
The population study also showed that a higher number of women (66.3 per cent) said their only national identity is Scottish compared to men (64.6 per cent).
When asked to choose the option best describing their ethnic group or background, a majority of people in Scotland chose ‘Scottish’ (77.7 per cent) or ‘Other British’ (9.4 per cent).
Meanwhile, a jump in the number of people able to speak Gaelic in Scotland was hailed by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.
Official statistics show that 130,161 people aged three and over had some skills in the language, when the census was carried out in 2022.
It is an increase of 43,100 on the number of people who said they could use Gaelic to some extent at the last census in 2011.
The rise was welcomed by Ms Forbes, who was appointed as minister for Gaelic by First Minister John Swinney.
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She said: “The 50 per cent increase in the number of people possessing some Gaelic skills since 2011 is another important step in securing the future of the language.
“The forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill will build on this progress, along with continued Scottish Government funding for Gaelic arts, education, broadcasting and community initiatives.
“My appointment as Scotland’s first Cabinet Secretary for Gaelic is a further sign of this Government’s determination to preserve Gaelic as a vital part of our culture.”
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