ABSTRACT
The population of the west of Scotland between 1871 and 1961 had a quite different history from that of the preceding century. It grew twice as fast as that of Scotland as a whole, doubling from 1·2 to 2·4 million, increasing its share of total population from 36 per cent to almost half in 1961. But the trends of the main factors affecting population growth were reversed in this period. Birth- and death-rates moved downward; the rate of natural increase was halved. The inward tide of migrants was replaced by a massive outflow of people. The only factor constant since the earlier period was the movement of people into the towns.
