OverviewDemographicsEarningsIndustryHousing

East Lothian

Economic profile. Data last updated 2026-03-28.

East Lothian supports 32,990 workplace jobs with median earnings broadly in line with the England average. Productivity (GVA per job) is ranked 277th of 391 local authorities.

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Population

115,180

↑ 16.2%

England: 58,620,101

Workplace Jobs

32,990

Median Annual Earnings

£33,737

130th of 348

England: £33,080

Median House Price

£280,972

↑ 1.8%130th of 348

England: £290,000

Price-to-Earnings

8.3x

GVA per Job

£58,209

277th of 391

England: £63,763

Source: ONS, Nomis, HM Land Registry, 2024-2025·Last updated March 2026

Demographics & Population

Mid-year population estimates (2024) and Census 2021 age profile.

Mid-year population estimate of 115,180. Population has grown by 16.2% over five years, significantly above the England rate of 11.4%.

Population

115,180

England: 58,620,101

Working-Age (16-64)

60.6%

England: 62.9%

Under 16

17.6%

Over 65

21.8%

Source: ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates, Census 2021, 2024·Last updated March 2026

Earnings & Income

Gross annual earnings distribution, 2025.

Median annual earnings of £33,737 are in line with the England median of £33,080.

Median Annual

£33,737

England: £33,080

10th Percentile

£11,711

90th Percentile

N/A

90/10 Ratio

N/A

Gender Pay Gap

Gender pay gap data is not available for this area (likely suppressed due to small sample size).

Gender Pay Gap

N/A

England: 28.2%

Source: ASHE via Nomis, 2025·Last updated March 2026

Industry Structure

Location quotients and shift-share analysis for East Lothian's economy.

The most specialised sectors are Agriculture, forestry & fishing (LQ 7.58) and Electricity, gas & air conditioning (LQ 5.03). Arts, entertainment & recreation shows the strongest local competitive advantage. Human health & social work underperforms its national sectoral trend.

Largest Sector

Human health & social work

Most Specialised

Agriculture, forestry & fishing

England: LQ 7.58

Fastest Growing

Arts, entertainment & recreation

Specialised Sectors

4

England: LQ > 1.25

Source: BRES via Nomis, 2020-2024·Last updated March 2026

Housing & Property Market

Estimated house prices for East Lothian vs England, 2015-2025.

The median house price of £280,972 is in line with the England median of £290,000. The price-to-earnings ratio is 8.3x. Prices have risen 1.8% over the past year.

Median Price

£280,972

England: £290,000

Price-to-Earnings

8.3x

12-Month Change

1.8%

Source: HM Land Registry, Census 2021, 2015-2025·Last updated March 2026

Benchmark to national figures

Comparing East Lothian to Scotland and Great Britain averages.

East Lothian's median earnings of £33,737 are in line with the Scotland average. The claimant rate of 2.4% is lower than the GB average of 3.5%.

Median earnings

£33,737

Scotland: £32,365(4% above)
GB: £32,401(4% above)

Median house price

£280,972

Scotland: £269,541(4% above)
GB: £269,841(4% above)

Claimant rate

2.4%

Scotland: 2.8%
GB: 3.5%(1.1pp lower)

GVA per job

£58,209

Scotland: £61,363(5% below)
GB: £61,125(5% below)

Working-age population

60.6%

Scotland: 61.4%(0.8pp lower)
GB: 61.9%(1.3pp lower)

Population change (5yr)

16.2%

Scotland: 4.0%(12.2pp higher)
GB: 10.3%(5.9pp higher)

Country averages computed from local authority-level data (Scotland: 32 LAs, GB: 348 LAs). May differ slightly from official published national statistics.