INVERCLYDE’S population has remained stable, according to new figures published by National Records of Scotland.

Statistics released this week estimated that there were 78,330 people living in the district on June 30, 2023, down 20 from the total 12 months previously.

Between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, there were 626 births recorded in the area and 1,174 deaths.

There was a net migration of 500 people into the area during this time, from an 'inflow' of 1,940 and an 'outflow' of 1,440.

The net migration into the area was entirely 'international', with an estimated 80 people leaving the area to elsewhere in Scotland, matching the estimate of 80 who arrived from the rest of the UK.

A further 28 arrivals are listed under the ‘other changes’ section of the data, which includes changes in the prison population and in armed forces personnel based in Scotland, as well as the effects of rounding.

On a national level, Scotland’s population rose faster than at any time since the 1940s.

The country’s population was at 5,490,100 on June 30 last year, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS) Mid-Year Population Estimates for 2023.

That is up 43,100 from the middle of 2022, a 0.8 per cent increase, and the biggest jump in one year since 1946-1947.