Europe · Northern Europe
United Kingdom Demographics
The United Kingdom combines continued population growth, low fertility, a large older-age share, high urbanization, and a recent migration balance that has changed sharply across source years.
Core population values use Office for National Statistics mid-year estimates and provisional estimates. Fertility, age-share, total life expectancy and urban indicators use World Bank World Development Indicators where comparable UK-level series are needed.
Last updated: June 15, 2026
Core Demographic Indicators
Detailed Demographic Indicators
| Indicator | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, provisional mid-year estimate | 69,487,000 | 2025 | ONS provisional population estimate |
| Population, official mid-year estimate | 69,281,400 | 2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Population growth | +1.1% | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Births | 662,100 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Deaths | 645,900 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Natural change | +16,200 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Immigration | 1,235,300 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Emigration | 496,500 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Net international migration | +738,700 | year to mid-2024 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Net migration, provisional | +204,000 | year to mid-2025 | ONS provisional population estimate |
| Fertility rate | 1.551 births per woman | 2024 | World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Life expectancy at birth, total | 81.39 years | 2024 | World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Life expectancy at birth, male | 79.4 years | 2024 | ONS national life tables |
| Life expectancy at birth, female | 83.3 years | 2024 | ONS national life tables |
| Population aged 0-14 | 17.19% | 2024 | World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Population aged 15-64 | 63.32% | 2024 | World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Population aged 65+ | 19.50% | 2024 | World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Urban population share | 84.88% | 2024 | World Bank WDI and UN urban series |
| Urban population | 58,761,798 | 2024 | World Bank WDI and UN urban series |
| UK aggregate median age | Data not available | 2024 | ONS release gives constituent-country medians only |
Table analysis
- The official mid-2024 estimate is 69,281,400, while the mid-2025 value is provisional and rounded.
- Net international migration was +738,700 in the year to mid-2024 and +204,000 in the provisional year to mid-2025.
- The 2024 fertility rate of 1.551 births per woman is below the broad replacement-level benchmark of 2.1.
- The urban population share is sourced separately from World Bank WDI because the ONS population estimate is not an urban-rural series.
Population Trend
United Kingdom Population Trend
Selected official mid-year population estimates from 1971 to the provisional 2025 estimate.
Source: Office for National Statistics UKPOP time series. The 2025 value is provisional and rounded.
Trend analysis
- The selected series rises from 55.9 million in 1971 to 69.3 million in 2024.
- The largest recent annual rise in this table is between 2022 and 2023, when the estimate increased by about 890,100.
- The 2025 value is provisional, so it should not be treated as final age-sex or subnational data.
Historical Population Table
| Year | Population | Yearly change | Yearly % change | Data type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 55,928,000 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 1975 | 56,225,700 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 1980 | 56,329,700 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 1985 | 56,554,000 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 1990 | 57,237,500 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 1995 | 58,024,800 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2000 | 58,886,100 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2005 | 60,413,300 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2010 | 62,759,500 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2015 | 65,087,000 | Data not available | Data not available | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2020 | 66,739,900 | +112,400 | +0.17% | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2021 | 66,978,000 | +238,100 | +0.36% | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2022 | 67,636,100 | +658,100 | +0.98% | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2023 | 68,526,200 | +890,100 | +1.32% | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2024 | 69,281,400 | +755,200 | +1.10% | Official mid-year estimate | ONS UKPOP time series |
| 2025 | 69,487,000 | +205,600 | +0.30% | Provisional mid-year estimate | ONS provisional population estimate |
Table analysis
- Recent annual rows show the rise from 66.7 million in 2020 to 69.5 million in provisional 2025 data.
- The table separates provisional 2025 data from official mid-year estimates.
- Yearly changes for selected older five-year points are marked as not available because adjacent annual rows are not shown in this compact table.
Age Structure
Age Group Share
World Bank WDI age-share series for 2024.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, 2024.
Chart analysis
- The 15-64 age group accounts for 63.32% of the population in the WDI series.
- The 65+ share is 19.50%, above the 0-14 share of 17.19%.
- These are broad age shares, not detailed age-sex counts.
| Age group | Share | Population count | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 | 17.19% | Data not available | 2024 | World Bank WDI |
| 15-64 | 63.32% | Data not available | 2024 | World Bank WDI |
| 65+ | 19.50% | Data not available | 2024 | World Bank WDI |
Table analysis
- The source table supports age shares, while population counts by these exact broad groups are not reproduced here.
- The 65+ share exceeds the 0-14 share by 2.31 percentage points.
Fertility and Life Expectancy
Fertility Compared With Replacement Level
Total fertility rate compared with a broad 2.1 births-per-woman benchmark.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, 2024. Replacement level is a broad benchmark and is not a country-specific projection assumption.
Chart analysis
- The UK fertility rate is 1.551 births per woman in the 2024 WDI series.
- The value is below the broad replacement-level benchmark of 2.1 births per woman.
Life Expectancy at Birth
Male and female values from ONS single-year life tables, with total life expectancy from WDI.
Sources: ONS national life tables for male and female 2024 values; World Bank WDI for total 2024 value.
Chart analysis
- Female life expectancy at birth is 83.3 years in the ONS 2024 single-year table.
- Male life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years, giving a male-female gap of 3.9 years.
- The total value uses WDI, so the chart mixes source types only to show a labeled comparison; the source note should be kept with the chart.
| Indicator | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth, total | 81.39 years | 2024 | World Bank WDI |
| Life expectancy at birth, male | 79.4 years | 2024 | ONS national life tables |
| Life expectancy at birth, female | 83.3 years | 2024 | ONS national life tables |
| Female-male life expectancy gap | 3.9 years | 2024 | Derived from ONS male and female values |
Table analysis
- The sex-specific life expectancy rows use ONS single-year values for 2024.
- The total row uses WDI and should not be read as a direct arithmetic average of the ONS male and female rows.
Migration and Natural Change
Population Change Components
Births, deaths, immigration, emigration and net international migration for the year to mid-2024.
Source: ONS mid-year population estimates, year to mid-2024.
Chart analysis
- Births exceeded deaths by 16,200 in the year to mid-2024.
- Net international migration was much larger than natural change in the same period.
- Immigration and emigration are flow measures, while total population is a stock measure.
| Period | Births | Deaths | Natural change | Immigration | Emigration | Net migration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year to mid-2024 | 662,100 | 645,900 | +16,200 | 1,235,300 | 496,500 | +738,700 | ONS mid-year population estimates |
| Year to mid-2025 | 653,000 | 651,000 | about +2,000 | Data not available | Data not available | +204,000 | ONS provisional population estimate |
Table analysis
- The mid-2025 row is provisional and does not provide the same immigration and emigration detail as the mid-2024 row in the values used here.
- Natural change is small in both rows compared with net migration.
Urban Population
Urban Population Share
Urban share of the total population in the World Bank WDI urban series.
Source: World Bank WDI and UN urban series, 2024. Urban classification follows national definitions used in the international urban dataset.
Chart analysis
- The urban share is 84.88% in 2024.
- The urban population count in the same WDI series is 58,761,798.
- Urban definitions differ by national statistical systems, so cross-country comparisons should keep the source definition in view.
Population Projection
ONS 2024-Based Population Projection
Principal projection from the 2024 base year to selected future years.
Source: ONS 2024-based national population projections. Projections are scenario-based estimates, not guaranteed predictions.
Projection analysis
- The principal projection moves from 69.3 million in 2024 to 71.0 million in 2034.
- The series reaches about 72.4 million by 2049.
- The ONS projection uses assumptions for fertility, mortality and migration; it is not an observed future path.
| Year | Projected population | Scenario | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69,281,000 | 2024-based principal projection base | ONS national population projections |
| 2029 | 70,224,000 | 2024-based principal projection | ONS national population projections |
| 2034 | 71,014,000 | 2024-based principal projection | ONS national population projections |
| 2039 | 71,594,000 | 2024-based principal projection | ONS national population projections |
| 2044 | 72,063,000 | 2024-based principal projection | ONS national population projections |
| 2049 | 72,410,000 | 2024-based principal projection | ONS national population projections |
| 2054 | about 72,500,000 | 2024-based principal projection peak year | ONS national population projections |
Projection analysis
- The table keeps projections separate from the historical population table.
- The 2054 row is rounded because the ONS release describes the projected peak at about 72.5 million.
- Projected population growth slows across the selected future intervals.
Age-Sex Data Coverage
ONS publishes UK population estimates by age and sex, but a full native five-year age-sex table is not reproduced here because the verified values used for this page do not include the complete UK age-by-sex row set. A population pyramid will be added when the full age-sex counts are imported into the page dataset.
| Dataset | Coverage | Latest year | Limitation for this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONS mid-year population estimates | UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by age and sex | 2024 | Full five-year age-sex rows are not included in the verified page table yet |
| ONS provisional population estimate | UK total population, births, deaths and net migration | 2025 | Not available by age, sex or subnational area |
| World Bank WDI age shares | Broad age groups: 0-14, 15-64 and 65+ | 2024 | Broad age shares cannot be used as a full population pyramid |
Method note
- A full population pyramid requires detailed age-by-sex counts.
- Broad age groups are shown in the age-structure section, but they are not a substitute for five-year age-sex rows.
- The provisional 2025 population estimate is not suitable for an age-sex pyramid because it is not provided by age and sex.
Demographic Overview
The official population estimate reached 69,281,400 in mid-2024, followed by a provisional 69,487,000 in mid-2025.
Net international migration was +738,700 in the year to mid-2024, then +204,000 in the provisional year to mid-2025.
The WDI age-share series places the 65+ population at 19.50% in 2024, above the 0-14 share of 17.19%.
The total fertility rate is 1.551 births per woman in 2024, below the broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.
The ONS 2024-based principal projection reaches 71.0 million in 2034 and about 72.4 million in 2049.
ONS resident-population estimates and WDI de facto or urban series use different definitions, so values are labeled by source.
Data Sources and Methodology
Population levels use ONS resident-population estimates where available. WDI values are used for internationally comparable fertility, total life expectancy, broad age structure and urban indicators. Projection values are kept separate from historical estimates.
| Source | Year or release | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics, UKPOP time series and mid-year population estimates | Data through mid-2024; UKPOP table includes provisional 2025 | Official population level, population trend, recent annual changes and resident-population definition |
| Office for National Statistics, provisional population estimate | 2025 provisional estimate | Mid-2025 provisional population, births, deaths and net migration |
| Office for National Statistics, national life tables | 2024 single-year values | Male and female life expectancy at birth and the derived sex gap |
| Office for National Statistics, 2024-based national population projections | Released 2026 | Principal projection chart and projection table |
| World Bank World Development Indicators | 2024 values | Fertility rate, total life expectancy, broad age-group shares, urban population share and urban population count |
| UN urban series via World Bank WDI | 2024 values | Urban population definition and urbanization chart note |
Method note
- Population counts are rounded in the visible tables for readability, while sort values keep clean numeric values where possible.
- World Bank WDI age shares and ONS resident-population totals are not merged into derived age-count rows.
- Missing values are shown as “Data not available” rather than estimated from unrelated series.
Methodological Safety Note
Methodological Safety Note: ONS resident-population estimates, provisional population estimates, WDI de facto population indicators, urban-series definitions and projection scenarios are not identical measurement types. Provisional 2025 data should not be used as a final age-sex dataset. Projection values are scenario-based estimates rather than observed data. Urban population depends on the national definition used in the international urban series. Broad age shares do not create a full population pyramid. UK aggregate median age is marked as not available because the used ONS release gives constituent-country medians rather than a single UK value.
Data Questions
What is the latest population figure used here?
The latest figure shown is 69,487,000 for mid-2025, but it is provisional. The latest official mid-year estimate used here is 69,281,400 for mid-2024.
Why do some indicators use ONS and others use World Bank WDI?
ONS is preferred for UK resident-population levels and official change components. WDI is used where comparable UK-level fertility, age-share, total life expectancy and urban indicators are needed.
Is the population projection a forecast?
No. The ONS projection is a scenario-based estimate built from assumptions for fertility, mortality and migration.
Why is there no native population pyramid?
A full pyramid requires detailed age-by-sex rows. The verified values used here include broad age shares but not the complete five-year UK age-sex table.