As the Scottish population ages and more people live alone in smaller households, the number of households in Scotland is increasing.

According to statistics released today by the Registrar General, the number of households is projected to increase by almost a fifth to 2.7 million - an average of 17,600 extra households per year. The number is climbing steadily, by between 11,000 and 23,000 each year since 1991, and by 22,400 households over the last year.

In the last 15 years the number of households has increased at a far greater rate than the population because the average household size is getting smaller. The average size has fallen from 2.45 people in 1991 to 2.19 in 2006 and is projected to decrease to 1.93 in 2031.

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The areas that have seen the greatest rises over the last five years are Aberdeenshire at 8.5%, West Lothian at 8.2% and Highland at 8.1%.

Commenting on the figures Duncan Macniven, the Registrar General for Scotland said: "Scotland's population is ageing, with more people in the older age groups and fewer in the younger age groups. This has an impact on household structure, as children tend to live in larger households, and older people in smaller ones.

"Since 2001, the number of households containing just one adult has increased by eight per cent, and the number of two adult households increased by 7%. By 2031, one-adult households are projected to increase by almost one-half and two-adult households will increase by a quarter."

(GK/JM)