The population of the United Kingdom has experienced the second highest rate of growth since the Second World War, figures from the government statistician show, with migrant arrivals accounting for nearly all the increase.
The population of the United Kingdom rose to an estimated 69.3 million by mid-2024, government statistician the ONS has revealed, stating the rise of 755,000 people in the preceding 12 months to mid-2023 is the second-highest growth in post-war history. Given the only year that beat it was the 890,000 people who arrived the previous year from mid-2022, the figures confirm the historic nature of the sustained high levels of immigration being experienced by the country.
The total number of births was the lowest the country has experienced for over 40 years. With just 16,239 more people than had died over the 12-month period, natural population growth accounted for just two per cent of population growth.
In the same period, 1,235,300 people came to permanently live in the UK while 496,500 moved abroad, leaving a net increase of 738,718, with those excess migrant arrivals over departures making up 98 per cent of population growth to mid-2024.
Of the four UK home nations, England was the main target for migrant arrivals and saw its population soar 1.2 per cent in just 12 months. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland experienced growth of less than one-per-cent each.
Migration Watch pointed out the vast majority of migrant arrivals pushing up the UK’s population were legal arrivals, not illegal boat migrants, remarks that followed by days calls by Brexit leader Nigel Farage that the public must start a debate on legal migration levels simply being too high.
The ONS data on population growth is the equivalent to the United Kingdom gaining a whole new city the size of Leeds, Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet said, who stated: “And yet our Prime Minister pays scant attention to these catastrophic levels of immigration and says nothing about how to reduce it.
“The public are not fooled by slogans and empty words. Sir Keir Starmer has to get serious and listen to what the public, including millions who used to vote Labour, are saying.”
The ONS figures are just the latest in a constant procession of years of data outlining the massive demographic pressures on Britain where low birth-rates combined with astonishingly high migration impose meaningful change on the country. Earlier this year Professor Matt Goodwin used government data to model at what point the United Kingdom will become minority White British, predicting a crossover by 2063.
Per the figures, and assuming no other major developments that change the relevant factors, Goodwin said by the end of the 21st century, Britain would be 22 per cent British.
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