Highland
Economic profile. Data last updated 2026-03-28.
Highland supports 116,470 workplace jobs with median earnings 5% below the England average. Productivity (GVA per job) is ranked 230th 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 237,290. Population has grown by 2.8% 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 £31,416 are below the England median of £33,080.
Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gap is 33.9% (male median £38,435, female median £25,403). This is significantly above the England gap of 28.2%.
Source: ASHE via Nomis, 2025·Last updated March 2026
Industry Structure
Location quotients and shift-share analysis for Highland's economy.
The most specialised sectors are Agriculture, forestry & fishing (LQ 8.55) and Mining & quarrying (LQ 5.23). Arts, entertainment & recreation shows the strongest local competitive advantage. Human health & social work underperforms its national sectoral trend.
Source: BRES via Nomis, 2020-2024·Last updated March 2026
Housing & Property Market
Estimated house prices for Highland vs England, 2015-2025.
The median house price of £261,642 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 Highland to Scotland and Great Britain averages.
Highland's median earnings of £31,416 are in line with the Scotland average. The claimant rate of 2.4% 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.