The number of foreign nationals eligible to vote in Scotland has reached its highest point on record.
Fresh figures from National Records of Scotland show 195,400 foreign nationals were registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local elections as of December 2024.
That marks a 3.1% rise on the previous year.
Foreign nationals now make up 4.6% of the total electorate for these elections.
The total number of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local council elections hit 4,283,300.
That’s a 1.0% increase, and the highest figure ever recorded for December.
For UK Parliamentary elections, the number of registered voters stood at 4,048,800, also up 1.0%.
Analysts say the General Election held in July 2024 likely played a role in the increase.
Sandy Taylor, Head of Electoral Statistics at NRS, said the overall register remains steady year to year.
However, the rise in foreign national voters signals a clear demographic shift.
Taylor said the record number of foreign voters reveals how Scotland’s electorate is “becoming more diverse”.
Postal voting trends have also seen slight changes.
Almost 22% of the UK electorate are registered to vote by post, a marginal drop from the previous year.
For Scottish elections, 21% of voters now have postal votes, down from 21.7% in December 2023.
NRS highlighted that rural and remote areas tend to have higher levels of postal voting.
The latest data adds to a growing picture of a changing electorate in Scotland.
Demographic shifts, international migration, and political engagement all play a role in shaping who is eligible — and choosing — to vote.
With local and national decisions shaped by who turns up at the ballot box, the evolving makeup of voters is set to have an impact.
