United Kingdom Population 2023 (Live)

Current projections have the United Kingdom's population surpassing 75 million in 2060 and experiencing continued growth throughout the century reaching 77.97 million in 2099.

The United Kingdom is expected to surpass the population of Germany around 2080.

The population growth rate in the UK is relatively slow at 0.6% per year. The fertility rate is only 1.8 births per woman, below the population replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman. However, a large part of this increase in the population is net migration, which was 626,000 in 2019. For the fifth year in a row, net migration was a larger contributor to the population change than births and deaths were.

United Kingdom Population Growth

Released in 2011, the figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that natural growth in the UK is at its highest level since the so-called ‘baby boom’ years of the 1960s. This natural change, the difference between the current birth rate and death rate, was also reported to be responsible for over 52% of the UK population’s growth.

Increased fertility also contributed to the rising population in the United Kingdom, with rising fertility rising among women born in the UK and an increase in the number of female immigrants of child-bearing age. During 2010, the number of births within the UK totaled 797,000, the highest number recorded since 1991. This contributed to the overall population growth of 3.1 million people between 2001 and 2010.

United Kingdom Population Projections

The United Kingdom's population is expected to continue its rise throughout the 21st century. Driven by modest natural increase and positive net immigration, the population will reach 77 million by 2050, according to the ONS projections. The UN projections for 2050 are slightly lower at 75 million.

United Kingdom Area and Population Density

In terms of density, based on the Office of National Statistics findings in 2010, there were 255 people living in every square kilometer of land (660 per square mile) which ranks the territory twelfth in the world overall.

As we’ve already seen, the confirmed figures from the 2001 Census showed that there were 58,789,194 people living in the UK and demographic analysis showed that of that figure, 92.1% of the population claimed to be of White British descent.

Largest Cities in the United Kingdom

Although the United Kingdom is made up of multiple nations, most of the largest cities are found in England. Perhaps the most well-known, London is also the largest city by population with its 8,136,000 residents. The next four largest cities are Birmingham, Manchester, West Yorkshire, and North East- all of which are in England. The sixth largest city in the UK, Glasgow, is in Scotland and is the home to 598,830 people.

Each year in June, the Office for National Statistics releases an updated estimate based on migration and fertility statistics. The last full UK census was carried out in 2011, showing a population of 63,181,775, up from 2001’s census figure of 58,789,194. The United Kingdom is currently growing at a rate of .61% per year.

The United Kingdom includes four nations, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Each nation has their own major cities that contribute to the population and demographics of the United Kingdom. London is the capital of the country, with 8,136,000 living within its boundaries. Glasgow in Scotland has a population of 598,830.

United Kingdom Demographics

Based on data from the last Census taken in 2011, the majority of the UK's population is situated in England, which accounts for just under 84% of the total population. Scotland trails behind with 8.4% of the population, followed by Wales at 4.8%, and Northern Island at 2.9%.

The United Kingdom has a diverse set of overseas born populations, with the largest 5 contributing countries being:

1. Poland (831,000)
2. India (795,000)
3. Pakistan (503,000)
4. Ireland (382,000)
5. Germany (286,000)

The UK has a high literacy rate of over 99% among residents aged 15 and older. This is attributed to the universal public education provided to UK residents, both in primary and secondary schools.

The most used languages in the United Kingdom are the English, Polish, and Welsh languages.

The total fertility rate of the United Kingdom is 1.92 children per woman, according to data from 2012. The number of children born to foreign-born mothers has increased to encompass over one-quarter of the total population, and statistics from 2014 show that the fertility of foreign-born women living in the UK is higher than native women of child-bearing age.

United Kingdom Religion, Economy and Politics

49% of the UK population is irreligious (or has no particular affiliation with any religion), 17% is affiliated with an Anglican Christian, 17% with a non-Anglican Christian faith, 8% Roman Catholic, 5% Islamic, and 4% other beliefs. An interesting side-note of religion and the UK is that only Protestants may gain the crown of king or queen, and those eligible for the crown have only recently been allowed to marry those of the Catholic faith without losing their eligibility.

United Kingdom Population History

The first census in England was taken in 1801 and revealed the population to be around 10.5 million. The first cumulative census for the 4 nations of the UK was taken in 1841 and found the greater United Kingdom to have close to 20.5 million citizens. The Irish population dropped somewhat drastically only years afterward because of the Great Irish Famine which killed more than a million people and caused many to emigrate from the area. This decrease is population was counterbalanced by growth in England during this time, so the overall numbers didn't change much up until 1900. Throughout the 20th century, all of the nations in the United Kingdom experienced steady growth leading to their substantial numbers of today.