Renfrewshire Economic Profile January 2026 AM reviewed
Renfrewshire Council · 20 January 2026
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 20 January 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 20 January 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire Economic Profile (January 2026) ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report contains the eleventh edition of the Renfrewshire Economic Profile. These updates allow members to track changes in the local economy through a set of key statistical indicators. The last update on the Economic Profile was brought to the board in January 2025. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: (i) Notes the content of the January 2026 Renfrewshire Economic Profile update. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The purpose of the economic profile update is to describe and track local demographics and economic indicators for Renfrewshire on an annual basis. The data and analysis presented provides a context and a baseline to assess how well the Renfrewshire economy has performed over time. 3.2 In terms of the profile, as with previous versions of this reports, officers have selected Scotland and the Glasgow City Region (GCR) as the most appropriate comparators. The national average is a commonly used guide by most local authorities in terms of relative performance. 3.3 Data used which forms the basis of the update is taken from a variety of sources including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Scottish Government. Officers also use statistical information collated by the Glasgow City Region Intelligence Hub.
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PUBLIC 3.4 Members comments are welcomed on the format and content of the economic profile. The profile will be shared with stakeholders and become a key source of data relating to the performance of the local economy. The profile aligns with the approved Renfrewshire Economic Strategy. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Key issues arising from the Renfrewshire Economic Profile. 4.1 Renfrewshire’s population continues to grow steadily, a trend expected to continue. This growth is driven by net migration into the area, as the rate of natural change (births minus deaths) remains negative. Renfrewshire has the fourth-highest net migration rate in the Glasgow City Region (GCR). 4.2 Since the last update, Renfrewshire’s overall employment rate has decreased, accompanied by an increase in economic inactivity; however, its rates remain comparable to those of the City Region as a whole. Encouragingly, there has been a decrease in the number of residents of working age with no qualifications, with the rate of school leavers entering positive destinations increasing and continuing to exceed the national average. 4.3 The average weekly income of Renfrewshire residents has increased again since the last reporting period. However, the average wage for those working in Renfrewshire is the third-lowest in the City Region. This highlights a disparity between the earnings of residents and those employed within the local authority area. The analysis suggests that higher-earning residents may be more likely to work outside Renfrewshire. 4.4 Key employment sectors in Renfrewshire remain focused on manufacturing, retail and business administration. Unsurprisingly, many of these sectors contribute significantly to Renfrewshire’s Gross Value Added (GVA). Renfrewshire remains especially strong in the manufacturing sector with rates of employment the highest in the GCR and well above the Scottish average. 4.5 Sustainable Tourism remains important in Renfrewshire’s economy. Although there has been a slight decline in the numbers employed in this sector this is largely consistent with Scottish and GCR figures. 4.6 Town Centre Vacancy Rates have improved across most of Renfrewshire’s retail centres with only Renfrew having seen a slight increase from 2024. 4.7 Renfrewshire has seen a decrease in the annual supply of new housing in 2024 after experiencing a ten year high in the total number of new houses in 2023. This may be due to a slowing of new houses contributed at Dargavel Village as it reaches the latter stages of its development horizon. 4.8 Renfrewshire has the third highest proportion of households with fibre broadband availability in the GCR. 4.9 The amount of vacant and derelict land in Renfrewshire has remained relatively unchanged since the previous reporting period, with only a marginal decrease.
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PUBLIC Conclusion 4.10 Renfrewshire’s economy continues to perform strongly against regional and national benchmarks, with growth in GVA, high employment rates and above- average resident earnings. Educational attainment and positive school leaver destinations remain strong. Manufacturing is a key strength, positioning the area well for advanced industry growth. However, creating more high-value, highly paid jobs should be a priority. The full development of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) and the introduction of a new Investment Zone offering tax incentives are expected to attract new businesses to invest in the area, driving innovation and supporting long-term economic resilience. 4.11 The full economic profile for Renfrewshire is included in Appendix 1 of this report. ____________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Empowering our Communities – the new Economic Profile will enable communities to have a clearer understanding of the relative performance of the Renfrewshire economy. • Jobs and the Economy - the new Economic Profile will present a clearer picture of the relative performance of the Renfrewshire economy. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact - None.
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PUBLIC 12. Climate Risk – None. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Euan Shearer; Regeneration and Place Manager Email: euan.shearer@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Economic Statistics (Eleventh Edition: January 2026) 1. Population Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Population 2024 189,170 Increase of 9% from 2010. 5,546,900 Increase of 5% from 2010. 1,895,840 Increase of 7% from 2010. Births (2024) 1,714 Decrease of 14% from 1,995 in 2010. 46,351 Decrease of 21% from 58,791 in 2010. 17,179 Decrease of 16% from 20,538 in 2010. Deaths (2024) 2,163 Increase of 13% from 1,910 in 2010. 62,024 Increase of 15% from 53,967 in 2010. 20,735 Increase of 10% from 18,791 in 2010. Male Life Expectancy 202- 2024 76.5 Increase of 6.4% from 71.9 in 2001-03. 77.2 Increase of 5% from 73.5 in 2001-03. . Life expectancy in Renfrewshire and Scotland increased for both males and females when comparing figures from 2001-03 and 202- 24. Female Life Expectancy 2022 - 2024 80.9 Increase of 3.6% from 78.1 in 2001-03. 81.1 Increase of 2.8% from 78.9 in 2001-03. Net Migration (2023-24) 2,470 4th highest level of net migration in the GCR. Decrease of 880 since 2022-23. 56,400 Significant decrease of 21,100 people from 2022-23. 23,630 Significant decrease of 9,050 people from 2022/23.
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PUBLIC 2. Employment Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Economic Inactivity Rate - aged 16-64 (Jul 2024-Jun 2025) 25% 28,500 people Rate has slightly increased 0.5% from the previous reporting period. 23.1% Rate has increased 0.2% from the previous reporting period. 26.6% Renfrewshire has the 3rd highest inactivity rate in the GCR. Inverclyde has the highest inactivity rate at 32% and East Dunbartonshire has the lowest at 20.4%. Employment rate - aged 16-64 (Jul 2024-Jun 2025) 72.0% 82,100 people This rate has reduced by 2% from the previous reporting period. 74.1% Rate has decreased by 0.3% from the previous reporting period. 70.3% Renfrewshire has the 4th highest employment rate in the GCR. East Renfrewshire has the highest (77.6%) and Glasgow City has the lowest (65.6%). Claimant Count (October 2025) 2.7% 3,220 people Marginal decrease in the percentage of people claiming benefits 0.2% from October 2024. 3.0% Minimal change in the percentage of people claiming benefits between October 24 and 25. 3.4% Renfrewshire has the 5th lowest proportion in the GCR. Glasgow City has the highest proportion (4.8%) whereas East Renfrewshire has the lowest (1.6%). % of population that is of the working age (16- 64yrs) (at 2024) 63.8% 1% decrease since 2018 63.3% 1% decrease since 2018 66% 1% decrease since 2018
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Occupations (Workplaces in Renfrewshire; at 2024) Renfrewshire has above average employment in: • Manufacturing (c.9,0001) • Retail (c.8,000) • Business administration (c.10,000) • Transport and Storage (c.6,000) Scotland is closer to Renfrewshire in terms of the proportion for construction and Professional, scientific & technical but is lower in other sectors, such as manufacturing and Business and administration. Renfrewshire has higher proportions of employment than the GCR in areas such as: • Manufacturing • Transportation and Storage; Retail; and • Business administration Resident-based Weekly Earnings (2025) Median weekly earnings for full-time employees living in Renfrewshire are £797, an increase of around £50 per week from 2024. Median weekly earnings for full-time employees living in Scotland are £776. Renfrewshire’s resident based weekly earnings are slightly lower than the GCR average of £799. Renfrewshire is 4th highest in the Region behind East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, and South Lanarkshire. Workplace-based Weekly Earnings (2025) Median weekly earning for full time employees working in Renfrewshire are £739 a slight increase of £77 from 2024 figures. Median weekly earnings for workplace- based earnings in Scotland are £774. Renfrewshire workplace-based earnings is 3rd lowest in the Region. The highest earnings in the Region is East Renfrewshire (£856). Qualifications NVQ4 and above % of pop 16-64yrs (2024) 55.9% (61,500) 7% decrease from 2022. 54.5% 0.6% decrease from 2022. Renfrewshire has the 4th lowest rate of qualification at this level in the GCR with East Renfrewshire the highest (66.2%) and North Lanarkshire the lowest at (38.3%). 1 NB the publicly available data from BRES is a rounded figure.
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region No Qualifications % of pop 16-64yrs (2024) 4.5% (5,000) 2.8% decrease from 2022. 8.0% 0.2% decrease from 2022. 11.2% East Renfrewshire has the lowest percentage (3.4%) of residents with no qualifications in the GCR. Glasgow City has the highest at 16.3% % of School Leavers in Positive Destinations 2023/2024 97.1 (1,850) Marginal 0.7% increase from 96.4% in 2022/2023. 96.0% Marginal 0.1% increase from 2022/2023. 96.4% Renfrewshire has the 3rd highest attainment level in the GCR. East Dunbartonshire has the highest at 98.6% with North Lanarkshire the lowest 94.2% % of Households that are Workless 2024 16.1% (9,031) Decrease of 1% from 2023. 18.2% increase of 0.8% since 2023. Glasgow City has the highest % in the GCR at 26.6%. East Renfrewshire has the lowest at 11.6%.
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PUBLIC 3. Business Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Business Count (2025) 4,665 86% are micro businesses with less than 10 employees. 11% are small businesses (10 to 49). 2% have been 50 and 250 employees. Less than 1% are classed as large businesses with more than 250 employees. This figure is for VAT and/or PAYE registered enterprises 173,100 Generally, an equivalent split to that of Renfrewshire’s with around 98% of businesses being classed as either micro or small. 50,205 Renfrewshire has a higher proportion of larger sized organisations compared to areas such as East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire. Business Birth Rate (per 10,000 16-64 Population) (2023) 50.2 (595) 2.1% increase from 2022. 56.7 2.1% increase from 2022. 56.6 Renfrewshire had the 4th largest number of start- ups (595). Glasgow City had the most with 2,870 and Inverclyde the fewest with 195. Business Death Rate (per 10,000 16-64 Population) (2023) 50.2 (595) No change from 2022. 56.7 Marginal decrease of 0.1% from 2022. 56.2 Renfrewshire had the 4th lowest Business Death Rate in the GCR, with Glasgow City the highest (65.4%) and Inverclyde the lowest (40%).
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region GVA (2023)2 Source – ONS/GCR £5.18 billion GVA grew by £329m between 2022 and 2023. £183.47 billion GVA has grown substantially nationally from £166.87 billion reported in 2022 (10%% increase). £60.15 billion Glasgow City (£29.4 billion) accounts for the most GVA in the GCR. Renfrewshire accounts for the fourth highest amount of GVA. Inverclyde has the lowest at £1.26 billion. Town Centre Vacancy Rates (2025) Paisley – 18% Renfrew – 15% Johnstone – 15% Erskine – 7% Braehead – 10% Linwood – 0% Vacancy rates have declined in main retail centres except for Renfrew which has seen an increase of 2% from 2024. 4. Manufacturing Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Number Employed in Manufacturing Sector (2024) 9,000 This figure has increased by c.1,000 workers since the 2020 figure (8,000). 179,000 The total number of jobs in Manufacturing in Scotland has increased by 2% from the 2020 figure. 59,100 Glasgow City has the highest number of manufacturing jobs in the GCR (c.20,000) and East Renfrewshire the lowest (c.600). 2 The latest GVA results are based on data from the Office for National Statistics (Regional gross value added (balanced) by industry: local authorities by ITL1 region), April 2025. The nineth edition update used the Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2020 (SABS) data.
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Number Employed in Manufacturing Sector per 10,000 working age population (2024) 746 Renfrewshire has a higher rate of employment in manufacturing than the GCR and Scottish rates. 510 Scotland has seen an increase of 14 in the number employed in the manufacturing sector per 10,000 working age population from 2023. 478 Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire have higher rates than the Scottish average rate and Renfrewshire is significantly the highest in the GCR. Manufacturing as % of total employment (2024) 10.5% No change on the 2023 figure (10.5%). 7% Slight increase from the 2023 figure (6.8%). 6.7% Renfrewshire has the highest proportion of employment in manufacturing in the GCR and East Renfrewshire has the lowest (2.8%). % of Scottish Manufacturing GVA (2022) 4.5% Renfrewshire contributes a higher proportion to Scottish manufacturing GVA than its overall contribution to Scottish GVA (2.8%). Renfrewshire has the 11th highest manufacturing GVA in Scotland. 29.5% Glasgow City Region collectively accounts for around £5.3 billion in manufacturing GVA to the Scottish economy. Manufacturing as a % of total GVA (2022) 15.8% Renfrewshire has the 7th highest manufacturing % of GVA in Scotland. 9.9% Angus has the highest manufacturing % of GVA in Scotland 33.7%. East Renfrewshire has the lowest at 1.8% 8.9% West Dunbartonshire has the highest manufacturing % of GVA in the GCR at 28.2%
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PUBLIC 5. Tourism Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Sustainable employment in tourism (at 2024) 6,230 Decrease of 505 employees on the 2023 figure. 234,700 Decrease of 5,150 on the figure of 2023. 65,745 This accounts for 28% of Scottish sustainable tourism employment. Renfrewshire has the joint 4th highest level of sustainable tourism employment in the Region. Glasgow has the largest with 33,840 and East Renfrewshire the smallest with 2,055. Direct expenditure (visitors, 2024) £227.88m This is a 24.2% increase on 2023 £183.50m figure. n/a3 n/a Visitors to Events (2025) 21,0864 Visitors from outwith Renfrewshire based on 4 events in 2025 (Paisley Food and Drink Festival, Renfrew Pipe Bands, SMA' Shot Day and Paisley Halloween Festival). - - All Visits to Attractions (2024) 690,655 An decrease of 0.7% from 2023 figures for the comparable 10 attractions recorded (695,540)5. 49.7m A 3.9% increase in visitors to attractions throughout Scotland from 2023 10.7m A 2.1% increase in visitors to attractions throughout the City Region from 2023 3 STEAM is commissioned at a local authority level and therefore does not provide a Scotland or city-region wide figure 4 These are unique visitors to Renfrewshire and not total attendees 5 Two attractions previously recorded, where unable to provide data for 2024
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PUBLIC 6. Housing Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Supply of New Housing – Rate per 10,000 Population (2024) 26.5 There was significant decrease in annual house building completions in Renfrewshire between 2023 and 2024 from 1137 to 501. 35.7 There was a decrease in annual house building nationally between 2023 and 2024 from 21,201 to 19,785. 30.0 Renfrewshire had the 4th lowest rate of new house building per 10,000 population in the GCR. Inverclyde the lowest (3.9). Supply of New Housing – Rate per 10,000 Population (average 2020 to 2024) 39.9 Renfrewshire’s rate over the last five years has decreased (6.3%) from the previous average. 36.6 Scotland has experienced a marginal decrease of 1.4 in the supply of new housing per 10,000 from 2023. 32.5 Renfrewshire has the third highest 5-year rate of new house building in the Glasgow City Region. South Lanarkshire has the highest (43.5) and East Dunbartonshire the lowest (25.6). % premises with available Fibre broadband connection (2024) 82.2% 1.6% increase from 2023. 61.2% 9.1% increase from 2023. 65% Renfrewshire has the third highest rate in the GCR. West Dunbartonshire the lowest 14.4%. 208ha Renfrewshire has experienced reduction in VDL between 2018 and 2024 (approx. 68ha). 8858 ha Overall VDL has fallen by over 2,000ha since 2018. 2,938 ha This is 33% of the Scottish total. Renfrewshire has the fourth highest total area of vacant and derelict land in the
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Total Vacant & Derelict Land (Ha) (2024) GCR. North Lanarkshire has the highest with 1,247 ha and East Renfrewshire the lowest with 44 ha. Vacant and Derelict Land as % of all Scottish V&D land (2024) 2.3% Renfrewshire has experienced a marginal reduction (0.4%) from 2023 in its share of total Scottish V&D land. 100% 33.2% Renfrewshire has the 4th highest % of Scottish V&D land in the GCR with North Lanarkshire the highest (14.1%) and East Renfrewshire the lowest (0.5%). Total Vacant & Derelict Land (Ha) in bottom 15% SIMD areas (2024) 47.4 ha 12.3% increase from 2021. 928.6 ha 13.9% decrease from 2021. 711.1 ha Renfrewshire has the 4th highest amount in the GCR. Glasgow City has the highest amount at 483.1 ha. East Renfrewshire have the lowest with 0.5. Breakdown of Tenure Type (2023) Total Dwellings: 90,839 Owner Occupied – 62.5% Private vacant/second homes – 1.8% Private Rented – 12.3% Socially Rented – 23.3% Total Dwellings: 2,710,302 Owner Occupied – 60% Private vacant/second homes – 3.7% Private Rented – 13.2% Socially Rented – 23.1% Total Dwellings: 906,711 Owner Occupied – 57.5% Private vacant/second homes – 2.1% Private Rented – 12.9% Socially Rented – 27.6% 88% This figure is from Renfrewshire's Housing Land Audit 2024. It represents the % of the land supply that will produce units in the next 7 years that is classed as brownfield.
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow City Region Effective Housing Land Supply % Brownfield (2024) Glossary: Claimant Count: The Claimant Count is a measure of the number of people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed, based on administrative data from the benefits system. Employment in low pay sectors: These include employment in the retail and hospitality sectors. Gross Value Added (GVA): Gross Value Added measures the value generated in the production of goods and services. It is one measure of overall economic performance. School Leavers in Positive Destinations: Includes higher education, further education, training, employment, voluntary work, Personal Skills Development and (Activity Agreements. Sustainable Tourism: Sustainable Tourism sector was identified in Scotland’s Economic Strategy as one of the growth sectors in which Scotland can build on existing comparative advantage and increase productivity and growth. Scotland’s tourism sector is a diverse industry, with a range of sub-sectors such as hotels, camping sites and other provision of short stay accommodation, restaurants, bars, travel agents, museums and other recreational and cultural activities. Vacant and Derelict Land: Vacant land is defined as land within a settlement that has been previously developed, without physical constraint, and which the planning authority has indicated is available for redevelopment. Derelict land is defined as land 'damaged by development, so that it is incapable of development for beneficial use without some remedial works'.