Ward Statistics


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Population

The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) supplies us with annual population estimates for small areas which we build up to give totals and changes at Ward level. These estimates aim to exclude short term migrants.

Inverness Central is our smallest and most densely populated Ward. It has a low proportion of children and a high proportion in the 16 to 49 age group. The population fell by 2% between 2001 and 2005. 2,300 overseas migrant workers moved to the Inverness city area between 2002 and 2006, 1,300 from eastern Europe, but the information does not allow a breakdown by Ward.

Total Population

  Ward Highland Scotland
Total Population 13,640 215,310 5,116,900
Source: GRO(S) 2006 mid-year estimates

Age Structure

Age Ward (%) Highland (%) Scotland (%) Ward (No.) Highland (No.) Scotland (No.)
0-15 17.1 18.5 18.2 2,368 39,392 921,833
16-49 46.3 42.6 46.9 6,503 91,485 2,397,345
50-64 17.8 21.3 18.5 2,351 46,396 959,754
65-74 9.6 9.7 9.0 1,198 20,786 455,744
75-84 6.9 6.0 5.6 911 12,997 287,021
85+ 2.3 1.9 1.8 309 4,254 95,203
Source: GRO(S) 2006 mid-year estimates

Population Density

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of persons per square kilometre 3039.9 8.1 65.7
Area (square kilometres) 4 26,489 77,925
Source: GRO(S) 2006 mid-year estimates

Health

This Census response is one of the best simple measures we have of the health of our population. The rate of self-reported long term illness is the highest in Highland.

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of total population:      
with a limiting long-term illness 23.3 18.4 20.3
without a limiting long-term illness 76.7 81.6 79.7
Source: Census 2001


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Households & Housing Stock

The following tables provide information on housing and household tenure in this Ward. Housing completions provide us with a picture of the growth of the local area whilst housing tenure and occupancy examine the nature of housing in the Ward.

The total number of new homes built during the last five years was below the Highland average. The number of sites identified in the Local Plan for the next four years is the second lowest in Highland, but no sites have infrastructure constraints.

Number of households

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of households 6,373 89,528 2,192,246
Source: Census 2001

House Prices

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of private house sales in 2006 224 3,921 110,604
Average house price £123,109 £147,217 £141,830
Median (midpoint) house price £105,000 £130,000 £114,000
Source: Communities Scotland/Registers of Scotland 2006

House Completions

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of house completions between 2002-2007 339 8,547 n/a
Average number of completions per year 57 1,425 n/a
Source: Highland Council

Housing Land Audit

  Ward Highland
Number of new homes* that potentially will be built between 2007-2011 which are:    
constrained by water supply and/or sewerage infrastructure 0 1,422
unconstrained by infrastructure 90 5,445
* identified in the Local Plan or with planning permission
Source: Highland Council

Further information about the Housing Land Audit is available on the Housing Land Audit webpage.

Number of Council Houses

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of Council owned houses 1,998 14,889 351,925
Source: Highland Council / Scottish Executive 2007

Housing Tenure

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of households that are:      
owner occupied 50.3 65.7 62.6
rented from the Council/Scottish Homes 27.9 18.0 21.6
rented from housing association 5.1 3.6 5.6
privately rented 11.8 8.5 6.7
other 4.9 4.2 3.5
Source: Census 2001

Housing Occupancy

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of housing stock that is:      
occupied 93.8 89.8 94.9
second/holiday homes 0.8 6.2 1.3
vacant 5.5 4.0 3.8
Percenatges are based on housing stock figures of 6,796 (Ward), 99,739 (Highland) and 2,308,939 (Scotland) from the Census 2001


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Employment & Economic Activity

The following series of tables provide information on employment status and the types of industries that provide jobs in the Ward. This information provides us with an understanding of the nature of employment within the Ward.

10% of workers in Inverness Central are self employed (Census 2001), well below the Highland average. The Ward has by far the highest number of jobs in Highland, with almost a fifth of all jobs in this one Ward, and the third highest proportion of full-time jobs. The proportion of jobs in construction is the second highest in Highland and the proportion in the public sector is well below the average.

Number of People in Employment

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of people in employment * 22,400 104,800 2,370,600
* Rounded to nearest 100 people
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2006

Employment by Sector

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of people employed in:      
Agriculture & fishing 0.2 3.6 1.5
Energy & water 1.3 0.7 1.6
Manufacturing 5.6 8.9 9.4
Construction 9.9 6.5 5.8
Distribution, hotels and restaurants 34.5 26.7 22.4
Transport and communications 7.9 4.5 5.1
Banking, finance & insurance, etc. 15.2 11.3 18.3
Public admin., education & health 19.9 32.8 30.4
Other services 4.4 4.9 5.4
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2006

Economic Activity

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of 16-74 year olds *      
Economically active 63.4 68.1 65.0
Full-time employees 37.6 38.9 40.3
Part-time employees 11.3 12.9 11.1
Self employed 6.4 10.2 6.6
Full-time student 2.2 1.8 3.0
Unemployed 5.8 4.3 4.0
* total 16-74 year olds 9,606 152,675 3,731,079
Economically active people are defined as those aged 16 to 74 who are working, actively looking for work or full-time students
Source: Census 2001

Qualifications

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of 16-74 year olds* whose highest qualification is:      
Group 1 24.9 26.1 24.7
Group 2 13.3 15.3 15.7
Group 3 7.1 6.4 7.0
Group 4 16.0 19.6 19.5
No qualifications 38.7 32.6 33.2
* total 16-74 year olds 9,606 152,675 3,731,079
Group 1: 'O' Grade, Standard Grade, Intermediate I or 2, City & Guilds Craft, SVQ level 1 or 2 or equivalent
Group 2: Higher Grade, CSYS, ONC, OND, City & Guilds Advanced Craft, RSA Advanced Diploma, SVQ level 3 or equivalent
Group 3: HND, HNC RSA Higher Diploma, SVQ level 4 or 5 or equivalent
Group 4: First degree, Higher degree, Professional qualification
Source: Census 2001


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Unemployment & Benefits

The following tables provide information about the rate of unemployment and those receiving both Incapacity and Council Tax Benefits. One feature of Highland life is that employment is often dependent on seasonal industries such as tourism, and employment rates vary through the year as people take up seasonal jobs but are unemployed for the rest of the year.

Unemployment rates are well above the Highland average, typically the second highest, as are long term unemployment rates which are the third highest. Taken overall, unemployment in Inverness Central is not particularly seasonal but parts of Merkinch show significant seasonal variation. The Incapacity Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claim rates are both the highest in Highland.

Latest unemployment rates ( June 2008 )

  Ward Highland Scotland
Unemployment rate * 3.3 1.6 2.3
Long term unemployment rate ** 0.6 0.4 0.6
* Percentage of resident working age population claiming Job Seekers Allowance
** Percentage of resident working age population claiming Job Seekers Allowance for 6 months or more
Source: Department for Work and Pensions date from NOMIS

 

Figure 1: Unemployment Rates (October 2004 to June 2008 )
Graph showing unemployment rates

 

Figure 2: Long-term Unemployment Rates (October 2004 to June 2008 )
Graph showing long-term unemployment rates

Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance ( November 2007 )

  Ward Highland Scotland
Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance claimant rate * 15.7 7.9 9.6
* Percentage of resident working age population
Source: Department for Work and Pensions data from NOMIS

 

Figure 3: Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance claimant rates (February 2004 to November 2007 )
Graph showing Incapacity / Severe Disability Allowance claimant rates

Council Tax Benefit ( 2004 )

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of claimants 2,025 17,475 518,935
Council Tax Benefit take-up rate * 28.8 17.0 21.8
* Percentage of working age population
Source: Department for Work and Pensions data from NOMIS

Further information on unemployment in Highland is available on the Unemployment webpage.


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Income & Deprivation

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, SIMD, is the Executive’s official measure for identifying small area concentrations of multiple deprivation. Household incomes are taken from CACI Paycheck, a commercial database based on lifestyle surveys and market research data, supplied by Communities Scotland to help with housing analysis.

Inverness Central has 6 datazones identified as severely deprived (Merkinch North ranked 48th most deprived out of 6,505 datazones in Scotland in Scotland, Merkinch East ranked 77 in Scotland, South Kessock, Merkinch South, Merkinch Telford and Central & Longman which overlaps into the Millburn Ward). Over a third of working age adults are classed as income deprived, and a fifth as employment deprived. Average household incomes are below the average, but not the lowest in Highland.

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of income deprived people * 2,824 23,874 707,728
Percentage of income deprived people * 20.7 11.1 13.8
Number of employment deprived people * 1,536 13,552 409,907
Percentage of employment deprived people * 19.4 10.6 12.9
Number of candidate Data Zones for Regeneration Funding 6 17 976
Average annual income ** £30,309 £30,570 £31,406
Percentage of households earning less than £10k per year ** 10.3 9.9 10.2
* Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006
** Source: CACI Paycheck 2006


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


You can also view a profile of Inverness Central Multi-Member Ward at the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics website by clicking the link below:

 

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