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Orkney Islands council area. Every figure carries its own date.

Neighbourhood differences

People aged 65 or over

22.1% to 30.9%

People aged 65 or over ranged from 22.1% in Kirkwall East to 30.9% in North Isles — a gap of 8.8 percentage points.

20 March 2022 · 6 of 6 current wards with comparable figures.

Age helps locate demand for accessible homes, transport and support. Being older does not itself mean someone needs care.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

People aged 65 or over · 20 March 2022
Ward	Share	Count	Population or households covered
Kirkwall East	22.1%	1,094	4,948
Kirkwall West and Orphir	22.8%	1,004	4,408
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray	23.1%	777	3,365
West Mainland	26%	1,124	4,323
Stromness and South Isles	28.5%	774	2,718
North Isles	30.9%	684	2,215

Source and method →

What could respond to this pattern →

People aged 16+ with no qualifications

14% to 22.3%

People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14% in East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray to 22.3% in North Isles — a gap of 8.3 percentage points.

20 March 2022 · 6 of 6 current wards with comparable figures.

Formal qualifications are only one part of someone's skills. Training decisions also need current vacancies, employment and residents' experience.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

People aged 16+ with no qualifications · 20 March 2022
Ward	Share	Count	Population or households covered
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray	14%	384	2,747
West Mainland	16.8%	617	3,671
Kirkwall East	16.8%	695	4,127
Kirkwall West and Orphir	17.7%	653	3,694
Stromness and South Isles	20.5%	480	2,346
North Isles	22.3%	425	1,906

Source and method →

What could respond to this pattern →

People aged 16+ with a degree or higher

29.2% to 34.7%

People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 29.2% in Kirkwall West and Orphir to 34.7% in Stromness and South Isles — a gap of 5.4 percentage points.

20 March 2022 · 6 of 6 current wards with comparable figures.

Qualifications show local skills, not whether people have secure jobs or use those skills at work. Scotland uses its own qualification categories.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

People aged 16+ with a degree or higher · 20 March 2022
Ward	Share	Count	Population or households covered
Kirkwall West and Orphir	29.2%	1,080	3,694
Kirkwall East	29.7%	1,225	4,127
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray	32.3%	886	2,747
West Mainland	33.3%	1,224	3,671
North Isles	34.6%	659	1,906
Stromness and South Isles	34.7%	813	2,346

Source and method →

What could respond to this pattern →

6 mapped electoral wards · May 2026. The same wards are available in the named list below. These are council boundaries, not police neighbourhoods.

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These are electoral wards or the explicitly labelled statistical equivalents. They do not necessarily match villages, parishes or police neighbourhoods.

Stromness and South Isles →2,718 people · census date in profile West Mainland →4,323 people · census date in profile North Isles →2,215 people · census date in profile East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray →3,365 people · census date in profile Kirkwall East →4,948 people · census date in profile Kirkwall West and Orphir →4,408 people · census date in profile