Fife

Key figures

7 of 9 measures have a published figure for Fife · no figure for annual rent as a share of pay, band d council tax as a share of pay. Each figure is the publisher’s own, for the period named beside it.

Population change, year by year

The same decomposition for every published year in Fife: births and deaths, net moves within the UK, net international migration, and the ONS’s balancing item.

Years to mid-2024 are the ONS’s rebased back series, made consistent with Census 2021 — its figures deliberately differ from the estimates published at the time. Every cell is a published figure; the total is the sum of net moves, natural change and other, which is our addition. A dash is a year the source does not publish for this area, never a zero.

Rates per 1,000 residents

The same population flows, adjusted for Fife’s size, so they can be compared with any other area’s: each year’s flow divided by the population that mid-year, times 1,000.

A Civometry calculation, not a published figure: ONS publishes these flows and the population, but not the rates. Net rates are signed — below zero means more left than arrived. Rates are crude, not age-standardised, so areas with very different age structures still differ for reasons size cannot remove. Each link shows the full recipe and every year.

Pay against housing costs

How pay in Fife moved over its latest published year, beside how the cost of buying and renting moved over theirs. The three series come from different publishers on different timetables, so each row covers its own year, named in the row.

average house price rose faster than pay over these periods.

Levels are the publishers’ own (ONS ASHE median annual pay for full-time employees living in the area; HM Land Registry UK House Price Index; ONS Price Index of Private Rents). The percentage changes are Civometry arithmetic on the two published values in each row. Pay is a survey of employees and says nothing about a particular household; one year is weather, not climate.

Who runs the council

Labour minority administration (2026) — SNP 34, Labour 18, Liberal Democrat 13, Conservative 6, Reform UK 2, Other and independent 2 of 75 seats.

Since 2016: Labour (largest party, no overall majority) (2016); SNP (largest party, no overall majority) (2017–2024); Labour minority administration (2025–2026)

Not an official statistic. Compiled by Open Council Data UK, an independent project, not by any government department: no official body publishes council political control. Councils are matched to GSS codes by name here; county councils and districts abolished before the current boundaries are not included. This is the one dataset on the site that is not read from an official publication, and every page that shows it says so. Source: Open Council Data UK (CC0).

Between the censuses

How Fife’s religion, ethnic-group and country-of-birth make-up changed between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, category by category. The two censuses compared.

Crime

No recorded-crime data is loaded for this area. Coverage.

Published for this area

• Median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence2025 · up 3.7% on a year earlier · ONS, published 23 October 2025£38,913
• People claiming unemployment-related benefitsJuly 2026 · up 6.5% on a year earlier · ONS, published 18 August 20267,585people
• Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64July 2026 · up 0.2 points on a year earlier · ONS, published 18 August 20263.3%
• Band D council tax in ScotlandYear ending March 2027 · up 5.0% on a year earlier · Scottish Government, published 31 March 2026£1,574
• House price annual changeJune 2026 · up 5.4 points on a year earlier · HM Land Registry, published 20 August 20266.8%
• Average house priceJune 2026 · up 6.8% on a year earlier · HM Land Registry, published 20 August 2026£176,924
• Population by local authorityMid-2024 · up 0.3% on a year earlier · ONS, published 26 September 2025374,760people
• Crimes recorded by the police in ScotlandYear ending March 2026 · up 8.1% on a year earlier · Scottish Government, published 23 June 202620,437crimes
• Crimes and offences recorded in Scotland per 10,000 peopleYear ending March 2026 · up 8.1% on a year earlier · Scottish Government, published 23 June 2026545.3per 10,000 population
• Median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence2025 · up 4.3% on a year earlier · ONS, published 23 October 2025£763

National figures that apply here

These are not measured for Fife; they are the figure for the nation or the UK, shown because they apply to everyone in it.

• Average Band D council tax (England average)Year ending March 2027 · up 4.9%£2,392
• Unemployment rate (UK)2026 Q2 · up 0.2 points4.9%
• Universal Credit caseload (Great Britain)Year ending March 2025 · up 16.3%5,473,000households
• Persistent absence (England)2024/25 academic year · down 1.8 points18.1%
• Average annual electricity bill (UK)2025 · down 1.3%£1,069

Then and now

The first and last years published for Fife, and the difference between the two. Both figures are published for this area; the difference is those two numbers subtracted, which you can check by hand.

• £23,5102008→£38,9132025

  Median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence

  In Fife, median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence rose from £23,510 in 2008 to £38,913 in 2025, a change of £15,403 or 65.5%, in cash terms, not adjusted for inflation (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  £38,913 in 2025 − £23,510 in 2008 = £15,403, which is 65.5% of the figure for 2008.

  18 published years spanning 17 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence, 2002 to 2023, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure. Cash terms: these are the amounts as published, not adjusted for inflation.

  In Fife, median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence rose from £23,510 in 2008 to £38,913 in 2025, a change of £15,403 or 65.5%, in cash terms, not adjusted for inflation (ONS).

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• £4662008→£7632025

  Median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence

  In Fife, median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence rose from £466 in 2008 to £763 in 2025, a change of £298 or 63.9%, in cash terms, not adjusted for inflation (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  £763 in 2025 − £466 in 2008 = £298, which is 63.9% of the figure for 2008.

  The two ends are rounded for display. The published figures are 763.30 and 465.80, and 763.30 − 465.80 = 297.50.

  18 published years spanning 17 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence, 2002 to 2023, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure. Cash terms: these are the amounts as published, not adjusted for inflation.

  In Fife, median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence rose from £466 in 2008 to £763 in 2025, a change of £298 or 63.9%, in cash terms, not adjusted for inflation (ONS).

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• 260Year to mid-2012→1,240Year to mid-2024

  Net internal migration by local authority

  In Fife, net internal migration by local authority rose from 260 in Year to mid-2012 to 1,240 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 980 or 376.9% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  1,240 in Year to mid-2024 − 260 in Year to mid-2012 = 980, which is 376.9% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Internal migration net by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, net internal migration by local authority rose from 260 in Year to mid-2012 to 1,240 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 980 or 376.9% (ONS).

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• 2,400Year to mid-2012→3,530Year to mid-2024

  International migration into a local authority

  In Fife, international migration into a local authority rose from 2,400 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,530 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,130 or 47.1% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  3,530 in Year to mid-2024 − 2,400 in Year to mid-2012 = 1,130, which is 47.1% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration in by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, international migration into a local authority rose from 2,400 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,530 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,130 or 47.1% (ONS).

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• 1,990Year to mid-2012→1,990Year to mid-2024

  International migration out of a local authority

  In Fife, international migration out of a local authority was the same in Year to mid-2024 as in Year to mid-2012 (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  1,990 in Year to mid-2024 − 1,990 in Year to mid-2012 = 0, which is 0.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration out by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, international migration out of a local authority was the same in Year to mid-2024 as in Year to mid-2012 (ONS).

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• 410Year to mid-2012→1,540Year to mid-2024

  Net international migration by local authority

  In Fife, net international migration by local authority rose from 410 in Year to mid-2012 to 1,540 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,130 or 275.6% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  1,540 in Year to mid-2024 − 410 in Year to mid-2012 = 1,130, which is 275.6% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration net by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, net international migration by local authority rose from 410 in Year to mid-2012 to 1,540 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,130 or 275.6% (ONS).

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• 4,093Year to mid-2012→2,947Year to mid-2024

  Births by local authority

  In Fife, births by local authority fell from 4,093 in Year to mid-2012 to 2,947 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,146 or 28.0% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  2,947 in Year to mid-2024 − 4,093 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,146, which is 28.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Births by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, births by local authority fell from 4,093 in Year to mid-2012 to 2,947 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,146 or 28.0% (ONS).

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• 3,855Year to mid-2012→4,547Year to mid-2024

  Deaths by local authority

  In Fife, deaths by local authority rose from 3,855 in Year to mid-2012 to 4,547 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 692 or 18.0% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  4,547 in Year to mid-2024 − 3,855 in Year to mid-2012 = 692, which is 18.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Deaths by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, deaths by local authority rose from 3,855 in Year to mid-2012 to 4,547 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 692 or 18.0% (ONS).

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• 238Year to mid-2012→-1,600Year to mid-2024

  Births minus deaths by local authority

  In Fife, births minus deaths by local authority fell from 238 in Year to mid-2012 to -1,600 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,838 or 772.3% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  -1,600 in Year to mid-2024 − 238 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,838, which is 772.3% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Natural change by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, births minus deaths by local authority fell from 238 in Year to mid-2012 to -1,600 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,838 or 772.3% (ONS).

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• -258Year to mid-2012→0Year to mid-2024

  Other population change by local authority

  In Fife, other population change by local authority rose from -258 in Year to mid-2012 to 0 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 258 or 100.0% (ONS).

  How this figure was worked out

  0 in Year to mid-2024 − -258 in Year to mid-2012 = 258, which is 100.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.

  13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Other population change by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.

  In Fife, other population change by local authority rose from -258 in Year to mid-2012 to 0 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 258 or 100.0% (ONS).

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Compare Fife with another place

Every figure both areas publish, side by side, from its own publisher with the period named:

• Fife and Birmingham
• Fife and Leeds
• Fife and North Yorkshire
• Fife and Somerset
• Fife and Cornwall
• Fife and Buckinghamshire

Or open any two areas as /compare/places/<area>/<area> — the address carries the whole comparison.

Nearby areas

The closest other local authorities, each with its own report card and a side-by-side comparison:

• Dundee City · compare
• City of Edinburgh · compare
• Clackmannanshire · compare
• East Lothian · compare
• Midlothian · compare
• Falkirk · compare

Areas like Fife

The local authorities whose published rents, pay, house prices, council tax and claimant count sit closest to Fife’s, wherever they are in the UK. Computed from the figures, not curated.

• Falkirk · compare
• Torfaen · compare
• West Lindsey · compare
• Angus · compare
• Renfrewshire · compare
• Wirral · compare

Since you moved here

Pick the year you arrived, and see what every series published for Fife said then and says now, with the periods named. Fife since you moved here, or read the whole run year by year.

Where these figures come from

Every figure above is published by the body named here, for the release named here. Figures marked as a Civometry calculation are arithmetic on those published figures and are not official statistics.

Not yet published here

Income, employment, benefits by area, health, education and religion for Fife are on the way where an open official source exists; where one does not, the data gaps register says why. Local claimant counts are behind a login.