About public sector employment statistics

Organisations in the Public Sector in Scotland

This section includes organisations with staff that were counted as part of the Public Sector in the Scottish Public Sector Employment Statistics publication as at Q3 2025.

The public sector is defined by the Office for National Statistics based on UK National Accounts definitions.

Please note that this list was produced based on the latest information as at Q3 2025. Organisations included in these categories may change over time.

See series reclassification guide in the Public Sector Employment tables for more detail on changes to public bodies over time.

Devolved Public Sector

Local Government

• Aberdeen City
• Aberdeenshire
• Angus
• Argyll & Bute
• City of Edinburgh
• Clackmannanshire
• Dumfries & Galloway
• Dundee City
• East Ayrshire
• East Dunbartonshire
• East Lothian
• East Renfrewshire
• Falkirk
• Fife
• Glasgow City
• Highland
• Inverclyde
• Midlothian
• Moray
• Na h-Eileanan Siar
• North Ayrshire
• North Lanarkshire
• Orkney Islands
• Perth & Kinross
• Renfrewshire
• Scottish Borders
• Shetland Islands
• South Ayrshire
• South Lanarkshire
• Stirling
• West Dunbartonshire
• West Lothian
• Cosla
• Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)
• North-East of Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS)
• South-East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN)
• Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)
• Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN)
• Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board
• Central Valuation Board
• Dunbartonshire Argyll and Bute Valuation Board
• Grampian Valuation Joint Board
• Highlands and Western Islands Valuation Joint Board
• Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board
• Lothian Valuation Joint Board
• Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board
• Tayside Valuation Joint Board
• Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board

NHS

• Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• National Waiting Times Centre
• NHS 24
• NHS Ayrshire & Arran
• NHS Borders
• NHS Dumfries & Galloway
• NHS Education for Scotland
• NHS Fife
• NHS Forth Valley
• NHS Grampian
• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
• NHS Highland
• NHS Lanarkshire
• NHS Lothian
• NHS National Services Scotland
• NHS Orkney
• NHS Shetland
• NHS Tayside
• NHS Western Isles
• Public Health Scotland
• Scottish Ambulance Service
• The State Hospital

Devolved Civil Service

• Accountant in Bankruptcy
• Consumer Scotland
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
• Disclosure Scotland
• Education Scotland
• Food Standards Scotland
• Forestry and Land Scotland
• National Records of Scotland
• Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
• Registers of Scotland
• Revenue Scotland
• Scottish Courts Service
• Scottish Fiscal Commission
• Scottish Forestry
• Scottish Government Core Departments (excluding Agencies)
• Scottish Housing Regulator
• Scottish Prison Service
• Scottish Public Pensions Agency
• Social Security Scotland
• Student Awards Agency for Scotland
• Transport Scotland

Police and Fire Related Services

• Scottish Police Authority
• Police Scotland
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Other Public Bodies

• Audit Scotland
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
• Standards Commission for Scotland
• Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
• Scottish Information Commissioner
• Scotland’s Rural College
• Tay Road Bridge Joint Board
• Scottish Futures Trust
• David MacBrayne Ltd
• Scottish Canals
• David Macbrayne HR (UK) Ltd
• Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland
• Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland
• Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Research Data Scotland
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Scottish Funding Council
• Scottish Social Services Council
• Bòrd na Gàidhlig
• Crofting Commission
• National Galleries of Scotland
• National Library of Scotland
• National Museums of Scotland
• Parole Board
• Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Legal Aid Board
• NatureScot
• Scottish Qualifications Authority
• Sportscotland
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Historic Environment Scotland
• Water Industry Commission for Scotland
• VisitScotland    
• Boundaries Scotland
• Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
• General Teaching Council for Scotland
• Architecture and Design Scotland
• Quality Meat Scotland
• Skills Development Scotland
• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority
• Scottish Law Commission
• Creative Scotland
• Care Inspectorate
• Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
• Children's Hearings Scotland
• Community Justice Scotland
• Scottish Land Commission
• Scottish National Investment Bank
• Zero Waste Scotland
• Scotrail
• Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd
• Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd
• South of Scotland Enterprise
• Caledonian Sleeper
• Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
• Redress Scotland

Further Education Colleges

• Borders College
• Edinburgh College
• West Lothian College
• Glasgow Clyde College
• City of Glasgow College
• Inverness College
• Moray College
• North East Scotland College
• Fife College
• Perth College
• Forth Valley College
• Dumfries & Galloway College
• Ayrshire College
• West College Scotland
• UHI North, West and Hebrides
• New College Lanarkshire
• South Lanarkshire College
• Glasgow Kelvin College
• Dundee and Angus College

Public Corporations

• Scottish Water
• Calmac Ferries LTD
• Lothian Buses
• Edinburgh Tours Ltd
• Glasgow Prestwick Airport
• Crown Estate Scotland
• Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd