The UK population grew by a record one percent in the year leading up to mid-2023, with immigration identified as the primary factor behind the surge, according to new data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
The country’s population reached an estimated 68.3 million people by mid-2023, an increase of 662,400 in just one year, marking the largest annual rise since records began in 1971. Over a two-year period, the population grew by 1.2 million, surpassing the population of Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city.
“Net international migration was the main contributor to population increase for all four countries of the UK in the year to mid-2023,” the ONS said. The statistics agency reported that 1,185,600 people immigrated to the UK, while 508,300 people emigrated during the same period, resulting in a net migration figure of 677,300.
The ONS also revealed a significant demographic shift: there were 16,300 more deaths than births during the period, marking the first time since 1976 that the UK has experienced negative natural population change, except for the COVID-affected year of 2020.
The record population increase comes at a time when the UK government is under pressure over rising immigration levels, with concerns being raised about the country’s ability to provide housing and services. The current Labour government has already faced significant unrest, including the most serious riots in a decade, which were attributed to anti-immigrant sentiment.
