Settlements and localities represent the urban or built-up areas of a local authority area.

• Settlements are groups of adjacent, densely populated postcode areas that add up to 500 people or more. They are separated by low density postcodes.
• Larger settlements are sometimes divided into localities. Localities correspond to historical towns.
• In mid-2020, 91% of Scotland's population lived in settlements and localities, which made up only 2.3% of Scotland's total land area. There were 514 settlements in Scotland in mid-2020.
• Settlements can cross council area boundaries. For example, the Greater Glasgow settlement spans seven councils - East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
• Further information is available from the National Records of Scotland website.  This includes an interactive map.

The total population for North Lanarkshire as at the 2020 estimates was 341,140.  As not all of the population lives in towns and villages, the figures in the table above will not add up to 341,140.

The National Records of Scotland are scheduled to publish and update to small area population estimates in the winter of 2025.