Building began in the mid-1950s by the then local authority, Glasgow Corporation. The goal was to provide better housing for the people of the East End living in sub-standard conditions. It was built to house over 50,000 people but as of the 2001 UK Census, its population was 26,495, of which 96.85% were born in Scotland. 172 people or 0.63% of this population were born outside Scotland, the lowest percentage in the country. In 2011, the population of Easterhouse decreased to 8,923 based on a narrower definition of the area and regeneration of housing which replaced tenements with houses.