UK population growth hit its lowest level since 2012, excluding the pandemic, as net migration fell by 171,000 people last year. The government claims control over borders, while critics argue more action is needed.
The Office for National Statistics projects UK deaths will outnumber births every year from 2026, with population growth slowing significantly. The population is expected to rise by just 1.7 million between 2024-2034 (2.5% to 71 million), down from a previous projection of 3 million. Net migration has fallen 69% to 204,000, and the population is now expected to peak at 72.5 million in 2054 before declining. The pensionable population will rise to one-fifth of the total by 2034.
The Office for National Statistics projects deaths will outnumber births in the UK every year from 2026, with the population expected to peak in the 2050s before declining. Net migration has fallen sharply from nearly 1 million in 2023 to just over 200,000, contributing to slower population growth. By 2034, pensioners will comprise a fifth of the population while the number of children is projected to fall by 1.6 million.
The UK population is projected to peak in the 2050s before declining, with deaths expected to outnumber births annually from 2026, according to Office for National Statistics projections. The population will reach 71 million by 2034, growing by just 1.7 million in the next decade—far slower than the previous decade. Net migration is expected to add 2.2 million people between 2024-2034, down from previous estimates, as the post-Brexit immigration peak is now viewed as a temporary blip.
The UK's healthy life expectancy has fallen by two years to around 60.7 years for men and 60.9 for women between 2012-14 and 2022-24, diverging from rising trends in other rich countries. The Health Foundation warns most areas now fall below the state pension age of 66, meaning people spend years in ill-health before retirement, with the poorest areas below 55 years. The thinktank calls for bolder policies including extending sugar tax principles to other products and minimum unit pricing of alcohol.
