Overview

• ONS estimates show the population reached 69.3 million in mid-2024, up 755,254 (1.1%) on the year, the second-largest annual increase since comparable records began.
• Net migration accounted for about 98% of the rise, with roughly 1,235,254 arrivals and 496,536 departures producing an estimated net gain of 738,718.
• Natural change added just 16,239 people as 662,148 births narrowly exceeded 645,909 deaths, with births at their lowest for at least 42 years.
• England recorded the fastest growth at 1.2%, followed by Scotland (0.7%), Wales (0.6%) and Northern Ireland (0.4%), with deaths outnumbering births in Scotland and Wales.
• The population has grown by about 1.6 million since mid-2022, the largest two-year increase on record, as debate over migration intensifies alongside Labour’s worker ID plan.