News: New 2006-based population projections released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 23 October 2007 reveal expected population growth of nearly 17 million (more than two Londons) to 77.2 million in 2050. This was followed on 15 November by migration figures for 2006, with upward revisions to inward flows in previous years. See what this means for our environment , and how different this would have been if the government had put OPT's recommended population policy in place OPT Population policy projections.

UK population has grown by more than a fifth since 1950 - in less than a lifetime. There are more than 60.5 million people living in the UK, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and our numbers are rising faster than ever before. UK population is growing by more than 350,000 a year - adding the equivalent of a city larger than Cardiff - and at the current growth rate of 0.6% a year would reach 100 million before the end of this century, passing 200 million by 2206. These estimates outstrip the last four official projections. Although a poll (Ipsos-Mori) in August 2006 showed that 33% of the public believe population growth to be the most serious threat to the future wellbeing of Britain, no political party has a policy to stop it, and the government has not yet stated what the limit to population size should be. Act now. Call for an population policy - stabilisation and gradual decrease to five million fewer people by 2050. See the Fertility, Migration, OPT Population Policy Projections and Briefings and Submissions sections of this website for population policy alternatives.

FOOTNOTES

Retrospective revisions: UK population figures are often revised retrospectively over a period of several years - for example, those for mid-1995 to mid-2003 were 'smoothed' following the April 2001 Census. Migration figures for 1997-2005 were revised in the ONS Release of 2006 migration figures. Some figures may not correspond because of rounding or different statistical measuring methods. See also ONS Why is the UK population growing?

Sources: Natural increase (births minus deaths) from: Releases and Health Statistics Quarterly, ONS; General Register for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (N.I. births are defined as live births to resident mothers). Other sources: Population figures from mid-1995 to mid-2003 from Table 1.6, p58, Population Trends 121, ONS, Autumn 2005. The latest (Mid-2006 based) UK Principal Population Projection was published by the Government Actuary's Department on 23 October 2007. Some births and deaths occur within the UK to people not 'usually resident' in the UK. Births have exceeded deaths in every year since 1901 except 1976. Illegal immigration cannot be fully counted. UK Population Millions 1971-1995 are taken from ONS figures, Table D6900, Population Trends 112. Census figures for the early 19th century are estimates, since registration of births in England and Wales did not begin until 1837. ¹Migration figures were revised upwards by the Office of National Statistics in June 2003. Official (November 2002) population projections by the Government Actuary's Department were based on continued net inward migration of 100,000 a year, a figure now acknowledged to be a significant underestimate. GAD's mid-2006 based principal projection (October 2007) assumes a net inward flow of 190,000. ONS Revised net immigration figures include asylum seekers but do not include illegal immigrants. For further details see Office of National Statistics. ² These (retrospectively) revised population estimates were published on 9 September 2004 (for mid-2001 and mid-2002) and 7 October 2004 (for mid-1992 to mid-2000), following the local authority population studies which followed the Census in 2001. These revisions replace all earlier versions. ⁵ Census results - the Census 1801 figure excludes Northern Ireland. The figure for 1750 is an estimate, for England and Wales only. The United Kingdom incorporates Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland. Statistics for constituent parts of the UK are available from the Office of National Statistics.