Our most important asset is people. The area as a whole has enjoyed a phenomenal rate of population change over the last 30 years, dominated by the City of Inverness and nearby Culloden which together house more than 80% of the population.
Much of the increase was initially oil-related. More modest but sustainable population growth is envisaged over the next decade. Most of that increase will result from net in-migration, reflecting perceived employment and lifestyle opportunities.
Overall the trend is following national patterns towards an ageing population more middle-aged and pensioners, proportionately fewer children and young adults. This suggests an increasing focus and investment to secure additional job opportunities for an expanding workforce and more care facilities for the elderly.
The growth of Inverness contributes to a high demand for housing. Housing demand is also high in other local centres and in rural areas.
Inverness offers a wide range of social facilities including the 800 seat Eden Court Theatre, 8 screen multiplex cinema and a state of the art Aquadome and Sports Centre. The Eastgate Centre, expaneded in 2003 to cover nine acres of the city centre, houses 66 retailers and offer parking for 1,350 cars. The centre provides the hub of the Inverness shopping experience. The shops currently based in the Easgate Centre employ about 1,150 full or part-time staff.
The developmet and growth of the local economy over the last 30 years has fuelled a substantial increase in the local population, much of it centred on Inverness and Nairn. By 1991 the estimated resident population of the INBSE area was 83,817. Between 1991 and 2001, the population increased by 6.7% to 89,410. This increase was significantly higher than that of both the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) area (0.8%) and Scotland as a whole (1.3%) over the same period.
The 2001 Census Figures show the following:
Inverness City has a population of 58,363
Inverness area has a population of 66,576
Nairn town has a population of 11,071
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise area has a population of 89,410
Inverness TTWA has a population of 89,563 (inludes INE area plus 4 RACE wards)
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