Overview of the UK population: August 2019

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An overview of the UK population: how it has changed, why it has changed and how it is projected to change in the future.

In mid-2018, the population of the UK reached an estimated 66.4 million.
The UK population’s growth rate in mid-2017 and mid-2018, at 0.6%, was slower than any year since mid-2004.
Long-term international migration to and from the UK has remained broadly stable since the end of 2016 and has also continued to be the main driver of the UK’s population growth.
In 50 years’ time, there is projected to be an additional 8.2 million people aged 65 years and over in the UK – a population roughly the size of present-day London.
After decades of improvement to life expectancy, the latest figures show a slowdown in improvement – life expectancy at birth remained at 79.2 years for males and 82.9 years for females in 2015 to 2017.

Understanding the size and characteristics of the UK population is vital when it comes to planning and delivering servic...