Population

The population change is caused by four factors; births, deaths, immigration and emigration. Growth has been steady and has been supported by increased life expectancy, high birth rates and sustained net immigration. The UK population is estimated to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.4% over the five years through 2023-24 to total 67.3 million people. Improved health awareness and medical innovation has enabled more people to enjoy old age. The average life expectancy for the UK is estimated just over 81 years of age. In line with this, more people are living to the age of 100 and the number of centenarians has risen to an estimated 15,121 in 2020-21, up from 11,140 in 2009-10.

A boom in the number of births in the 00s has also spurred population growth. This culminated in the number of births reaching a peak of over 809,000 live births being recorded in the United Kingdom in 2011-12, the highest figure recorded since 1972. Although the number has fallen slightly it remains high at over 705,400 in 2022-23. The boom is due to a number of factors, such as the increase in child-bearing age migrants and medical innovation, which has made it easier for older women to give birth. The number of children born to women aged between 30 and 34 accounted for the highest proportion in 2013. As birth rates have risen and death rates have fallen, the population has grown over the past decade.

From 2001-02 to 2019-20, between 490,000 and 715,000 long-term international migrants have entered the United Kingdom each year. At the same time emigration has not increased at a proportional rate, therefore leading to increasing numbers of people in the United Kingdom. Students also account for a significant share of the immigration numbers, with international demand for UK universities having growing for much of the five years.

Over the two years through 2021-22, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak increased the number of UK deaths and halted the number of international migrants in the United Kingdom due to lockdown measures implemented. Despite the virus, the UK population is expected to have continued to rise, albeit at a slightly lesser rate. However, this may not fully reflect the mass emigration of non-UK nationals as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. According to the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence, 1.3 million are estimated to have left the United Kingdom due to the outbreak. This may result in a downward revision of the population but this will only be included if they do not return within 12 months of their departure, as is classified by the ONS. Nevertheless, the UK population is expected to continue to grow in the current year at a rate of 0.4%.