ISSUES
: Our Changing Population
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Key facts
Key facts
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The population trends projected by the UN vary
enormously by region:
•
Africa and much of Asia are predicted to grow
significantly;
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the Americas are expected to grow somewhat;
and
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Europe is predicted to stabilise. (page 1)
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The mid-range global projection is that the planet’s
population will increase from seven billion to nine
billion by 2050. Broader estimates range from eight
to 11 billion. (page 1)
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The population of the UK at 30 June 2014 is estimated
to be 64,596,800. (page 2)
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Over the year to mid-2014 the number of people
resident in the UK increased by 491,100 (up 0.77%),
which is above the average annual increase (0.75%)
seen over the last decade. (page 2)
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The population of the UK almost reached 64.6 million
in mid-2014 with the total UK population standing at
64,596,800. (page 3)
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There are presently 391 local authorities in the UK;
326 in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and 11
in Northern Ireland. In mid-2014, the local authority
with the smallest population size at 2,300 was Isles
of Scilly and the largest population at 1,101,400 was
Birmingham. (page 4)
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The UK population grew to an estimated 64.6 million
in 2014, its highest ever value. This represents an
increase of almost half a million people from 2013
according to the most recent population estimates.
(page 5)
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Natural change has resulted in increases in the
population in every year over the last decade, by
around 200,000 people per year on average over
the previous decade and in 2014 it increased the UK
population by more than 200,000 people. (page 5)
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Germany and France are the only two EU countries
with bigger populations than the UK’s, but they had
lower growth rates at five and 4.5 per 1,000. (page 7)
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“Life expectancy is rising faster than thought, with
90 expected to become the norm in some affluent
areas of the country by 2030,” The Guardian reports.
(page 8)
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Life expectancy in England and Wales is expected to
continue to rise from the 2012 average of 79.5 years
for men and 83.3 for women, to 85.7 (95% credible
interval 84.2 to 87.4) for men and 87.6 (95% credible
interval 86.7 to 88.9) for women by 2030. (page 9)
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By 2025, world population could be more than eight
billion people. Around 2047 it could hit nine billion
and by 2100 it could reach 11 billion – although there
is still much uncertainty around this number with
some estimates reaching 16 billion. (page 10)
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More than half (54%) of the increase of the UK
population between 1991 and 2012 was due to the
direct contribution of net migration. (page 11)
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In 1996, when the population of England was 49
million, it was projected to be around 51 million
today. The latest figures from the Office for National
Statistics show that it now stands at just over 54
million. (page 13)
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Overall, the global population growth rate is projected
to fall to 0.5 per cent per annum by 2050. (page 17)
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Out of 233 countries or areas, 191 (82 per cent)
experienced increases in the proportion of older
persons between 1980 and 2015. 231 countries or
areas (99 per cent) are expected to see an increase
in the proportion aged 60 or over between 2015 and
2050. (page 18)
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225 million women in developing countries who want
to plan their families and their lives have unmet need
for contraception. (page 20)
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By 2050, it is expected that nearly 70% of the world’s
population will live in urban areas. (page 24)
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Female sterilisation continues to be the most popular
and dominant method of contraception in India.
(page 32)
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The Indian population is still growing at an annual
rate of 1.2%. Larger states such as Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and Rajasthan are predicted to almost double
in size over the next 30 years. (page 33)
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China has scrapped its one-child policy, allowing all
couples to have two children for the first time since
draconian family planning rules were introduced
more than three decades ago. (page 34)
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The British family is shrinking, with almost half (46%)
of families in England and Wales having just one
child, according to the most recent ONS figures.
(page 37)
