| Data Tracker - Population |
Key Facts UK population: 69.48m (mid-2025, ONS)Confirmed mid-2024: 69.281mBirths (yr to mid-2025): 652,400Deaths: 647,500 (near equal to births)Net migration (yr to mid-2025): 222,900 (main growth driver)Deaths to exceed births from: mid-2026Projected 2034: 72.0m (ONS) |
In brief: The UK population was 69.48 million at mid-2025 (ONS, published 1 October 2026), up 227,700 or 0.33% on mid-2024, the slowest growth since mid-2020. In the year to mid-2025 there were 652,400 births and 647,500 deaths, a natural change of just 4,900, meaning nearly all population growth came from net international migration of 222,900. ONS projects the UK population will reach 72 million by 2034. From mid-2026, deaths are projected to exceed births every year, making net migration the only source of population growth. Around 13.1 million people (19% of the population) were born overseas as of June 2024. All data from ONS official statistics.
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026 | Source: ONS Population Estimates mid-2025 (1 October 2026) | ONS 2024-based National Population Projections
How big is the UK population?
The UK population was estimated at 69,483,900 at mid-2025 by ONS, up 227,700 (0.33%) on mid-2024. This final estimate, published on 1 October 2026, replaces the provisional 69.9 million figure published earlier. The full mid-2025 estimates, with breakdowns by age, sex and local authority area, were published on 1 October 2026; the UK median age was 40.9 years.
By country within the UK, England accounts for the vast majority of the population. At mid-2025, England had 58.83 million people, Scotland 5.55 million, Wales 3.18 million and Northern Ireland 1.93 million. England's population is growing faster than the other three nations.
Births, deaths and natural change
In the year to mid-2025, there were an estimated 652,400 births and 647,500 deaths in the UK. The difference, called natural change, was just 4,900 more births than deaths, and births were the lowest for at least 43 years. This near-equality means that natural change is contributing almost nothing to population growth. ONS projects that deaths will exceed births every year from mid-2026 onwards. When that happens, the UK population can only grow through net migration.
The UK's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) -- the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime - has been falling for years and stood at 1.39 in England and Wales in 2025, the lowest ever recorded and well below the 2.1 replacement rate. A TFR below 2.1 means that each generation is smaller than the one before it, putting long-term downward pressure on the birth rate even as women of childbearing age currently living in the UK are themselves products of higher-fertility years.
Net migration and population growth
Net migration - the difference between people arriving in the UK for 12 months or more and people leaving - was 204,000 in the year to June 2025. This is the main driver of UK population growth. Since 2020, almost all of the growth in the UK population has come from net migration rather than from births exceeding deaths. More than half (68%) of all UK population growth between 2005 and 2024 was attributable to net migration according to the Migration Observatory at Oxford.
Net migration peaked at 944,000 in the year to March 2023, driven by a surge in work visas (particularly health and social care), student visas, and humanitarian routes including the Ukraine and Hong Kong BNO schemes. Since then it has fallen sharply to a provisional 171,000 in the year to December 2025, reflecting government immigration rule changes in 2024 and 2025 including restrictions on overseas students bringing family members and higher salary thresholds for Skilled Worker visas.
Population projections
ONS's 2024-based National Population Projections, published in April 2026, project that the UK population will grow from 69.281 million in mid-2024 to approximately 72.0 million by mid-2034. Over the 25 years to mid-2049, the population is projected to grow by 3.1 million to around 72.1 million. Net migration accounts for 180% of this projected growth - the reason the percentage exceeds 100% is that without migration, the population would actually shrink because deaths are projected to outnumber births. The long-term net migration assumption used in the projections is 230,000 per year from mid-2027 onwards, which is the 10-year average of historical data. This assumption should not be read as a forecast - it reflects a modelling convention, not a prediction.
The ageing population
The UK population is ageing. The median age was approximately 40.8 years in mid-2024, though this has decreased slightly from the mid-2021 Census figure, partly reflecting the composition of net migration (migrants tend to be younger than the existing population on average). Children under 16 are projected to fall from 18.2% of the population in mid-2024 to 15.5% in mid-2034. The working-age population will be supporting an increasingly large number of older people, with consequences for the NHS, social care, the pension system, and public finances.
People born overseas
Around 13.1 million people living in the UK were born overseas as of June 2024, equivalent to approximately 19% of the total population. This includes 3.9 million born in EU countries and 9.2 million born outside the EU. The Census 2021 recorded 10.7 million people born overseas (16% of the population at that time). The increase since then reflects continued high levels of immigration between 2021 and 2024.
Part of: UK Data Trackers |
Disclaimer: UK population figures from ONS. Mid-2025 figures are final ONS estimates published 1 October 2026 and subject to revision. Population projections are scenarios, not forecasts, and are subject to uncertainty. Country-level breakdowns from confirmed mid-2024 estimates. Not immigration or policy advice. Updated annually (next: summer 2026). |
What is the UK population in 2025?
ONS estimates the UK population at 69.48 million at mid-2025, up 227,700 (0.33%) on mid-2024. The final mid-2025 estimates were published on 1 October 2026.
Is the UK population growing or shrinking?
Growing, but almost entirely due to net migration. In the year to mid-2025, births and deaths were nearly equal (652,400 births vs 647,500 deaths). From mid-2026, deaths are projected to exceed births, meaning net migration will be the only source of UK population growth.
What is the UK population projected to be in 2034?
ONS's 2024-based projections estimate the UK population will reach approximately 72.0 million by mid-2034 and around 72.1 million by mid-2049. Net migration is the only projected source of growth, as deaths are projected to exceed births from mid-2026.
How many people living in the UK were born overseas?
Around 13.1 million people (19% of the UK population) were born overseas as of June 2024, according to an ONS ad hoc estimate. This includes 3.9 million born in EU countries and 9.2 million born outside the EU.
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Update, 14 October 2026: final mid-2025 population estimates and latest net migration The Office for National Statistics estimates the UK population at 69,483,900 at mid 2025, an increase of 227,700 or 0.33 per cent on mid 2024. According to the ONS, published on 1 October 2026, this is the lowest rate of growth since mid 2020. At mid 2025 England had 58,834,800 residents, Scotland 5,545,500, Wales 3,175,200 and Northern Ireland 1,928,400. Wales was the only nation whose population fell, by 0.09 per cent. In the year to mid 2025 there were 652,400 births and 647,500 deaths in the UK, a natural change of 4,900, while net international migration was 222,900, down from 651,700 a year earlier, the ONS says. The ONS provisionally estimates net migration at 171,000 in the year to December 2025, with immigration of 813,000 and emigration of 642,000. Its estimate for the year to June 2026 is due on 26 November 2026. The total fertility rate in England and Wales fell to 1.39 children per woman in 2025, a record low, with 585,396 live births, according to the ONS on 8 September 2026. |
