Orkney Islands Council
Orkney Islands Council is the local authority for the Orkney Islands, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It was established in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and was largely unaffected by the Scottish local government changes of 1996. The council is based in Kirkwall.
Political Control & Leadership
- Political control
- Independents and othersMajority of seats
- Run by
- Independent administration
- Seats
- Independents and others 20 · Green 1 (21 seats)As at May 2026. "Independents and others" includes local parties. Source: Open Council Data UK (public domain).
- Leader
- Graham Bevan
- Chief executive
- Oliver Reid
Overview
- Population
- 22,270
- Founded
- 1996
- Website
- orkney.gov.uk
Finance
- Annual revenue budget
- £154m
- Council tax (Band D)
- £1,669This is the council’s own charge. Scottish Water’s water and sewerage charges are added on the same bill. Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are national bodies funded by the Scottish Government, not through council tax. See Council Spending by Service below for how this council itself spends.
Council Spending by Service
- Total
- £116m2024-25 · Scottish Government (outturn) · Sum of this council's 8 reported service categories. Scotland does not publish a single total figure in this source. · May not match "Annual revenue budget" above. That figure is a different accounting measure (budgeted resource requirement) for a different year than this outturn total.
- Education
- £49m
- Social Work
- £33m
- Roads and Transport
- £9m
- Central Services
- £8m
- Culture and Related Services
- £5m
- Building, Planning and Development
- £5m
- Environmental Services
- £5m
- Non-HRA Housing
- £1m
Claimant count
210 people claiming unemployment-related benefits, August 2026
1.6% of residents aged 16 to 64 · +10 on August 2025
| August 2026 | Claimants | % aged 16 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 120 | 1.9% |
| Women | 95 | 1.4% |
Yearly and recent figures
| Month | Claimants | % aged 16 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 210 | 1.6% |
| July 2026 | 205 | 1.6% |
| June 2026 | 205 | 1.6% |
| May 2026 | 210 | 1.6% |
| April 2026 | 215 | 1.7% |
| March 2026 | 235 | 1.8% |
| February 2026 | 245 | 1.9% |
| January 2026 | 230 | 1.8% |
| December 2025 | 225 | 1.8% |
| November 2025 | 210 | 1.6% |
| October 2025 | 200 | 1.5% |
| September 2025 | 190 | 1.5% |
| August 2025 | 200 | 1.6% |
| July 2025 | 200 | 1.6% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 1.5% |
| May 2025 | 220 | 1.7% |
| April 2025 | 215 | 1.7% |
| March 2025 | 230 | 1.8% |
| February 2025 | 230 | 1.8% |
| January 2025 | 215 | 1.7% |
| December 2024 | 210 | 1.6% |
| November 2024 | 205 | 1.6% |
| October 2024 | 215 | 1.7% |
| September 2024 | 255 | 2.0% |
| August 2026 | 210 | 1.6% |
| August 2025 | 200 | 1.6% |
| August 2024 | 240 | 1.8% |
| August 2023 | 210 | 1.6% |
| August 2022 | 200 | 1.5% |
| August 2021 | 265 | 2.0% |
| August 2020 | 420 | 3.2% |
| August 2019 | 165 | 1.2% |
| August 2018 | 80 | 0.6% |
| August 2017 | 110 | 0.8% |
| August 2016 | 105 | 0.8% |
| August 2015 | 65 | 0.5% |
| August 2014 | 95 | 0.7% |
| August 2013 | 140 | 1.0% |
| August 2012 * | 185 | 1.4% |
| August 2011 * | 205 | 1.5% |
| August 2010 * | 175 | 1.3% |
| August 2009 * | 115 | 0.9% |
| August 2008 * | 95 | 0.7% |
| August 2007 * | 110 | 0.8% |
| August 2006 * | 160 | 1.2% |
| August 2005 * | 140 | 1.1% |
| August 2004 * | 175 | 1.4% |
| August 2003 * | 170 | 1.4% |
| August 2002 * | 195 | 1.6% |
| August 2001 * | 240 | 2.0% |
| August 2000 * | 255 | 2.1% |
| August 1999 * | 290 | 2.3% |
| August 1998 * | 300 | 2.4% |
| August 1997 * | 325 | 2.6% |
| August 1996 * | 390 | 3.1% |
| August 1995 * | 490 | 4.0% |
| August 1994 * | 465 | 3.7% |
| August 1993 * | 450 | 3.6% |
| August 1992 * | 400 | 3.3% |
| August 1991 * | 425 | n/a |
| August 1990 * | 395 | n/a |
| August 1989 * | 545 | n/a |
| August 1988 * | 735 | n/a |
| August 1987 * | 760 | n/a |
| August 1986 * | 810 | n/a |
* Before 2013: Unemployment Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants only. n/a means no share was published for that year.
The Claimant Count is people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus people on Universal Credit who are required to look for work. Before 2013 it counted only Unemployment Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants, so earlier years are not strictly comparable. Universal Credit requires more people to search for work than Jobseeker’s Allowance did, so as it replaced older benefits from 2013, part of the rise in the count reflects that change rather than more unemployment. It is not the official unemployment rate, which comes from a survey. The latest month can be revised.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Claimant Count (via Nomis). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Welfare spending
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Child poverty
Children under 16 living in low-income families, 2024-25
| Year | Children | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 426 | 12.1% |
| 2022-23 | 386 | 11.1% |
| 2023-24 | 317 | 9.1% |
| 2024-25 | 380 | 11.0% |
A child is counted if their family’s income is below 60% of the UK median for that year and the family claimed Child Benefit plus at least one other benefit (Universal Credit, tax credits or Housing Benefit). The two measures can differ a lot: housing costs push the after-housing-costs figure far higher in expensive areas such as London. Figures are provisional and years before 2021-22 are not comparable, so the trend starts there.
Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Children in Low Income Families: local area statistics (FYE 2022 to 2025, published 26 March 2026).
House prices
£214,106 average house price, July 2026
−0.3% over 12 months · −8.2% over 1 month · 33 sales in May 2026
Yearly figures
| July 2004 | £58,039 |
| July 2005 | £82,522 |
| July 2006 | £93,964 |
| July 2007 | £91,590 |
| July 2008 | £105,490 |
| July 2009 | £115,997 |
| July 2010 | £110,419 |
| July 2011 | £114,729 |
| July 2012 | £128,101 |
| July 2013 | £115,000 |
| July 2014 | £126,802 |
| July 2015 | £111,437 |
| July 2016 | £122,170 |
| July 2017 | £129,485 |
| July 2018 | £145,074 |
| July 2019 | £147,499 |
| July 2020 | £131,145 |
| July 2021 | £171,578 |
| July 2022 | £210,909 |
| July 2023 | £193,410 |
| July 2024 | £204,555 |
| July 2025 | £214,823 |
| July 2026 | £214,106 |
| Type | Average price | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £285,968 | +0.4% |
| Semi-detached | £201,074 | −0.1% |
| Terraced | £169,111 | −0.4% |
| Flat or maisonette | £109,676 | −3.7% |
| First home buyers | £173,041 | −0.9% |
| Existing owners moving home | £243,773 | +0.1% |
| Cash buyers | £225,419 | −0.1% |
| Mortgage buyers | £203,673 | −0.5% |
Average prices are HM Land Registry’s estimates for the whole area, adjusted for the mix of homes sold, not the price of any one home. Figures for the latest months are provisional: sales can take weeks or months to be registered, so each month is revised for a year after it is first published. Sales counts are published about three months behind prices. In areas with fewer sales, figures can swing noticeably from month to month.
Source: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (July 2026 data). Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Crime
515 crimes recorded in 2024-25 (April to March)
23.4 per 1,000 residents · Down 1.2% on the previous year
| Type of crime | Crimes |
|---|---|
| Non-sexual crimes of violence | 142 |
| Crimes against society | 115 |
| Crimes of dishonesty | 112 |
| Damage and reckless behaviour | 85 |
| Sexual crimes | 61 |
Source: Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland (Accredited Official Statistics). Published once a year for each financial year (April to March). The rate per 1,000 residents is the Scottish Government’s own published rate.
Crime figures last updated 11 October 2026.
Road casualties
People killed or injured on roads reported to the police, 2025
Yearly figures
| Year | Killed | KSI as recorded | KSI adjusted | All casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 5.0 | 9 |
| 2024 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 | 18 |
| 2023 * | 0 | 8 | 8.0 | 13 |
| 2022 * | 4 | 8 | 8.0 | 17 |
| 2021 | 2 | 6 | 6.0 | 16 |
| 2020 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 10 |
| 2019 | 2 | 8 | 10.1 | 28 |
| 2018 | 2 | 7 | 9.0 | 20 |
| 2017 | 1 | 5 | 6.6 | 14 |
| 2016 | 1 | 7 | 11.1 | 28 |
* DfT flags unexpected data collection issues affecting some police forces’ figures for these years.
| Road user | Killed | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 0 | 0 |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0 |
| Motorcyclists | 0 | 2 |
| Car occupants | 2 | 3 |
| Bus or coach occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Van occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Lorry (HGV) occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Other vehicle occupants | 0 | 0 |
These are casualties in collisions reported to the police on all roads in the council’s area, including motorways and trunk roads it doesn’t manage. Police forces have moved to an injury-based recording system that classes more injuries as serious, so the Department for Transport publishes an adjusted “killed or seriously injured” estimate to allow fair comparison between years; the trend uses the adjusted figure, and the road-user table uses figures as recorded. Rates are per billion miles driven by motor vehicles in the area.
Source: Department for Transport, Reported road casualties Great Britain (RAS0403, first published 30 July 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Public Health
- Smoking (adults)
- 14.0%2019-2023 · Scottish Health Survey
- Physically active (adults)
- 25.0%2019-2023 · Scottish Health Survey
- Overweight or obese (adults)
- 75.0%2016-2019 · Scottish Health Survey
- Life expectancy (male)
- 78.7 years2021 to 2023 · ONS
- Life expectancy (female)
- 82.7 years2021 to 2023 · ONS
Broadband and mobile
30.0% of 13,362 homes and businesses can get gigabit-capable broadband, January 2026
269 premises can't get decent broadband · 14% of premises use full fibre
| Superfast (30 Mbit/s or more) | 86.7% |
| Ultrafast (100 Mbit/s or more) | 30.0% |
| Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s or more) | 30.0% |
| Gigabit-capable (1,000 Mbit/s) | 30.0% |
| Full fibre to the premises | 30.0% |
| Can’t get 10 Mbit/s | 7.4% |
| Can’t get decent broadbandfrom a fixed line or fixed wireless | 2.0% |
| 4G indoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 98.4% |
| 4G indoors from all four networksshare of premises | 73.3% |
| 4G outdoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 100.0% |
| 5G outdoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 77.6% |
| Indoor phone calls from at least one networkshare of premises | 98.4% |
| Land with no outdoor 4G from any networkshare of the area | 0.8% |
These figures show what is available, not what people buy. “Decent” broadband means 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload, the standard set by the broadband Universal Service Obligation. Full-fibre use is the share of all premises with a full-fibre connection in use. Mobile figures count the four networks Ofcom reports (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) and are modelled predictions of signal strength; 5G figures use Ofcom’s high-confidence measure.
Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations (January 2026 data). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sewage spills
1,946 hours of sewage spills from 12 storm overflows in 2025
789 spills counted · 8 of 9 overflows with figures spilled at least once · 26th most spill hours of 32 council areas in Scotland
Storm overflows are run by water companies, not by the council. The company responsible here is Scottish Water.
Every overflow in this area
| Overflow | Company | Spills | Hours | Monitor working | Volume (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwall WWTW SSSOinto The String | Scottish Water | 369 | 948 | 97% | 83,947 |
| Finstown, Heddle Road SPS CSOinto Bay of Firth | Scottish Water | 124 | 654 | 100% | n/a |
| Stromness, North End Road CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | 83 | 100 | 100% | n/a |
| Stromness, Navigation School SPS CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | 116 | 99.8 | 59% | n/a |
| Stromness, Garson SPS CSOinto Hamnavoe | Scottish Water | 16 | 61.6 | 100% | n/a |
| Finstown, Pier House/Maitland Pl CSOinto Bay of Firth | Scottish Water | 35 | 48.6 | 78% | n/a |
| Stromness, Graham Place SPS CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | 31 | 30.7 | 100% | n/a |
| Stromness, Hillside Road CSOinto Hamnavoe | Scottish Water | 15 | 4.3 | 100% | n/a |
| Finstown, Ouse SPS EOinto The Ouse | Scottish Water | 0 | 0 | 100% | n/a |
| Stromness, Ferry Road CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | not reported | not reported | 0% | n/a |
| Stromness, Fishermans Society SPS CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | not reported | not reported | 0% | n/a |
| Stromness, South End CSOinto Stromness Harbour | Scottish Water | not reported | not reported | 0% | n/a |
A storm overflow releases diluted sewage into a river or the sea when sewers are overloaded, usually in heavy rain. Hours are the total time all spills lasted. Scottish Water counts each separate spill, and for some overflows publishes only spills longer than 15 minutes 30 seconds, so these figures are not directly comparable with England’s. Volume is published only for overflows reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). 3 overflows have no figures for 2025, so the totals may be lower than the true amount. 2 overflows discharge below the high-tide line or out at sea and are counted with the nearest council area. Compare every council, constituency and water company.
Source: Scottish Water, overflow event data (2025 figures), licensed under the Open Government Licence. Locations placed in council areas using Office for National Statistics boundaries (contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026).