The population of England was estimated to have reached almost 57.7 million in 2023, compared with 53.9 million ten years earlier in 2013. Compared with 1971, the population of England has grown by over ten million.

In 2023, the population of the United Kingdom reached 68.3 million, compared with 67.6 million in 2022. The UK population has more than doubled since 1871 when just under 31.5 million lived in the UK and has grown by around 8.2 million since the start of the twenty-first century. For most of the twentieth century, the UK population steadily increased, with two noticeable drops in population occurring during World War One (1914-1918) and in World War Two (1939-1945). Demographic trends in postwar Britain After World War Two, Britain and many other countries in the Western world experienced a 'baby boom,' with a postwar peak of 1.02 million live births in 1947. Although the number of births fell between 1948 and 1955, they increased again between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, with more than one million people born in 1964. Since 1964, however, the UK birth rate has fallen from 18.8 births per 1,000 people to a low of just 10.2 in 2020. As a result, the UK population has gotten significantly older, with the country's median age increasing from 37.9 years in 2001 to 40.7 years in 2022. What are the most populated areas of the UK? The vast majority of people in the UK live in England, which had a population of 57.7 million people in 2023. By comparison, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland had populations of 5.44 million, 3.13 million, and 1.9 million, respectively. Within England, South East England had the largest population, at over 9.38 million, followed by the UK's vast capital city of London, at 8.8 million. London is far larger than any other UK city in terms of urban agglomeration, with just four other cities; Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow, boasting populations that exceed one million people.

The statistic shows the total population in the United Kingdom from 2015 to 2019, with projections up until 2025. The population grew steadily over this period.

Population of the United Kingdom

Despite a fertility rate just below the replacement rate, the United Kingdom’s population has been slowly but steadily growing, increasing by an average of 0.6 percent every year since 2002. The age distribution has remained roughly the same for the past ten years or so, with the share of the population over 65 years old seeing a slight increase as the baby boomer generation enters into that age bracket. That share is likely to continue growing slightly, as the United Kingdom has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

The population of the island nation is predominantly white Christians, but a steady net influx of immigrants, part of a legacy of the wide-reaching former British Empire, has helped diversify the population. One of the largest ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom is that of residents of an Indian background, born either in the UK, India, or in other parts of the world. India itself is experiencing problems with rapid population growth, causing some of its population to leave the country in order to find employment. The United Kingdom’s relatively lower levels of unemployment and the historical connection between the two countries (which has also resulted in family connections between individuals) are likely reasons that make it a popular destination for Indian emigrants.

National and subnational mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries by administrative area, age and sex (including components of population change, median age and population density).

UK residents by individual countries of birth and citizenship, broken down by UK country, local authority, unitary authority, metropolitan and London boroughs, and counties. Estimates from the Annual Population Survey.

According to the 2021 Census, 62.9% (37.5 million) of the overall population of England and Wales was of ‘working age’ (between 16 and 64 years old).

Urban population (% of total population) in United Kingdom was reported at 84.88 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents.There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for Leicester MSOAs and compare with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsAccommodation typeThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or householdThis could be:the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravanMore information about accommodation types:Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.This dataset includes details for Leicester city MSOAs.

There were over 4.7 million people aged between 30 and 34 in the United Kingdom in 2023, making it the most populous age group in that year. Those aged between 35 and 39 years comprised the next most numerous age group in 2023, at over 4.64 million people. Millennials overtake Boomers as biggest generation Post-war demographic trends, particularly the 'baby boom' phenomenon, have significantly influenced the current age distribution in the UK. The postwar peak of live births in 1947 resulted in the dominance of the Baby Boomer generation for several decades, until 2020 when Millennials became the largest generational cohort, surpassing the Boomers for the first time. The following year, the UK Boomer population was then overtaken by Generation X, the generation born between Boomers and Millennials. Generation Z, however, remains smaller than the three generations that preceded it, at 12.9 million individuals in 2022. Aging UK population poses challenges The median age of the UK population is projected to reach 44.5 years by 2050, compared to 34.9 years in 1950. This aging trend is indicative of broader global demographic shifts, with the median age of people worldwide forecasted to increase from 23.6 years in 1950 to 41.9 years by 2100. How countries like the UK manage their aging populations will be one of the key challenges of the next few decades. It is likely the UK's struggling National Health Service (NHS) will come under even more pressure in the coming years. There are also tough economic questions, in particular as more people enter retirement age and the UK's working population gets smaller in relation to it.

In 2019, people from most ethnic minority groups were more likely than White British people to live in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

Population estimates provide statistics on the size and age structure of the population in the UK at country, region, county, and local authority level. They are the official source of estimated population size in between censuses and inform a wide range of official statistics.Persons included are all those people who usually live in an area, regardless of nationality. Arriving international migrants are included in the usually resident population if they remain in the UK for at least a year and emigrants are excluded if they remain outside the UK for at least a year. Students and school boarders are included at their term time address.

Mid-year (30 June) estimates of the usual resident population for electoral wards in England and Wales.

Life expectancy at birth figures have been calculated for wards in England and Wales based on deaths from 1999-2003. Results are available for persons for all wards. Figures have also been produced for males and females where sex-specific ward-level populations were big enough to allow the calculation of sufficiently robust results.

Source agency: Office for National Statistics

Designation: Experimental Official Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Life expectancy at birth for wards in England and Wales (experimental)

United Kingdom UK: Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % of Male Population data was reported at 4.146 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.049 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.153 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.146 % in 2017 and a record low of 1.335 % in 1960. United Kingdom UK: Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 80 and above as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

The purpose of this data package is to offer essential population statistics about European countries covering static and dynamic demographical indicators. The two current sources of information are the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), from Austria and the U.K. Office for National Statistics.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in United Kingdom was reported at 279 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Mid-year estimates of resident population for the respective calendar years, rebased on the 2011 Census by age and sex. The estimated resident population of an area includes all people who usually live there, whatever their nationality. Members of UK and non-UK armed forces stationed in the UK are included and UK forces stationed outside the UK are excluded. Students are taken to be resident at their term time address. To facilitate planning of health services at local level and provide denominators for epidemiological analyses. Legacy unique identifier: P00015

In 2023, there were estimated to be around 4.01 million people aged between 30 and 34 living in England, the most of any age group. Those aged 35 to 39 comprised the next highest age group, at 3.95 million, while the age group with the fewest people was among those aged 90 and over.

High life expectancy variant projection for England - population by five-year age groups and sex.