Fife
Economic profile. Data last updated 2026-03-28.
Fife supports 133,960 workplace jobs with median earnings broadly in line with the England average. Productivity (GVA per job) is ranked 214th of 391 local authorities.
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 374,760. Population has grown by 3.4% over five years, significantly below the England rate of 11.4%.
Source: ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates, Census 2021, 2024·Last updated March 2026
Earnings & Income
Gross annual earnings distribution, 2025.
Median annual earnings of £32,445 are in line with the England median of £33,080. The 90/10 earnings ratio is 4.6x (England: 6.2x), indicating relatively high wage inequality.
Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gap is 23.2% (male median £38,353, female median £29,457). This is significantly below the England gap of 28.2%.
Source: ASHE via Nomis, 2025·Last updated March 2026
Industry Structure
Location quotients and shift-share analysis for Fife's economy.
The most specialised sectors are Agriculture, forestry & fishing (LQ 3.86) and Mining & quarrying (LQ 2.11). Agriculture, forestry & fishing shows the strongest local competitive advantage. Information & communication underperforms its national sectoral trend.
Source: BRES via Nomis, 2020-2024·Last updated March 2026
Housing & Property Market
Estimated house prices for Fife vs England, 2015-2025.
The median house price of £270,212 is below the England median of £290,000. The price-to-earnings ratio is 8.3x. Prices have risen 1.8% over the past year.
Source: HM Land Registry, Census 2021, 2015-2025·Last updated March 2026
Benchmark to national figures
Comparing Fife to Scotland and Great Britain averages.
Fife's median earnings of £32,445 are in line with the Scotland average. The claimant rate of 3.3% is lower than the GB average of 3.5%.
Country averages computed from local authority-level data (Scotland: 32 LAs, GB: 348 LAs). May differ slightly from official published national statistics.