[2] In the 18th and 19th centuries, the population expanded rapidly, rising from 49,000 in 1751 to 136,000 in 1831, primarily due to migration from rural areas.

[4]: 9  As the population grew, problems of overcrowding in the Old Town, particularly in the cramped tenements that lined the present day Royal Mile and the Cowgate, were exacerbated.

[4]: 9  Poor sanitary arrangements resulted in a high incidence of disease,[4]: 9  with outbreaks of cholera occurring in 1832, 1848 and 1866.

[5] The proportion of people residing in Edinburgh born outside the UK was 23.5% in 2022, compared with 15.9% in 2011 and 8.3% in 2001.

[16] City of Edinburgh: Council Area Profile, National Records of Scotland