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).

The population of the United Kingdom in 2023 was estimated to be approximately 68.3 million in 2023, with almost 9.48 million people living in South East England. London had the next highest population, at over 8.9 million people, followed by the North West England at 7.6 million. With the UK's population generally concentrated in England, most English regions have larger populations than the constituent countries of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which had populations of 5.5 million, 3.16 million, and 1.92 million respectively. English counties and cities The United Kingdom is a patchwork of various regional units, within England the largest of these are the regions shown here, which show how London, along with the rest of South East England had around 18 million people living there in this year. The next significant regional units in England are the 47 metropolitan and ceremonial counties. After London, the metropolitan counties of the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire were the biggest of these counties, due to covering the large urban areas of Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds respectively. Regional divisions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland The smaller countries that comprise the United Kingdom each have different local subdivisions. Within Scotland these are called council areas whereas in Wales the main regional units are called unitary authorities. Scotland's largest Council Area by population is that of Glasgow City at over 622,000, while in Wales, it was the Cardiff Unitary Authority at around 372,000. Northern Ireland, on the other hand, has eleven local government districts, the largest of which is Belfast with a population of around 348,000.

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 total population in the United Kingdom was estimated at 69.2 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Population - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The mid-year estimates refer to the population on 30 June of the reference year and are produced in line with the standard United Nations (UN) definition for population estimates. They are the official set of population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries, the regions and counties of England, and local authorities and their equivalents.

The United Kingdom: Percent of world population: The latest value from 2023 is 0.86 percent, unchanged from 0.86 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 0.51 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2023 is 1.16 percent. The minimum value, 0.86 percent, was reached in 2020 while the maximum of 1.74 percent was recorded in 1960.

Key information about United Kingdom population

• The United Kingdom population reached 68.3 million people in Dec 2023, compared with the previously reported figure of 67.6 million people in Dec 2022
• The data reached an all-time high of 68.3 million people in Dec 2023 and a record low of 48.9 million people in Dec 1946

• In the latest reports, United Kingdom Unemployment Rate dropped to 3.9 % in Oct 2023
• Monthly earnings of the United Kingdom population was 3,547.0 USD in Jul 2024
• United Kingdom Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 62.8 % in Oct 2023

United Kingdom UK: Population: Growth data was reported at 0.648 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.714 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.352 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.849 % in 1962 and a record low of -0.036 % in 1982. United Kingdom UK: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

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.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for United Kingdom (POPTOTGBA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2023 about United Kingdom and population.

This dataset contains counts of breeding seabirds derived from surveys by professional and volunteer ornithologists from within sub-sites defined using 6-figure OS grid references. Counts were derived from a complete census of seabird colonies in Britain and Ireland as part of the Seabird 2000 census.

The Seabird 2000 dataset contains data from a full census of all of the breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland. The data was gathered between the years 1999 and 2003 from both coastal and inland colonies. The main objectives of the survey were: to obtain distribution and population information for all 25 species of seabird that regularly breed in the UK and Ireland; to get baseline figures for those species that had been surveyed poorly up to now.

The dataset contains points representing counts of nesting seabirds in sub-sites - stretches of coastline showing start and end point of subsites about 1km in length. Also points representing counts of nesting seabirds in sub-sites away from the coast which represent polygons.

This dataset is visualised as a mapping layer on Natural England's MAGIC site http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx.

For more information about the Seabird 2000 census please see JNCC's website http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/seabird2000.

According to the 2021 Census, there were 30.4 million (51.0%) women and girls and 29.2 million (49.0%) men and boys in England and Wales.

Population growth (annual %) in United Kingdom was reported at 1.066 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Virgin Islands (British) Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 75.659 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 75.254 % for 2022. Virgin Islands (British) Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 67.632 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 75.659 % in 2023 and a record low of 51.871 % in 1960. Virgin Islands (British) Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;

This dataset contains gridded human population with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km for the UK based on Census 2021 (Census 2022 for Scotland) and Land Cover Map 2021 input data. Data on population distribution for the United Kingdom is available from statistical offices in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and provided to the public e.g. via the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Population data is typically provided in tabular form or, based on a range of different geographical units, in file types for geographical information systems (GIS), for instance as ESRI Shapefiles. The geographical units reflect administrative boundaries at different levels of detail, from Devolved Administration to Output Areas (OA), wards or intermediate geographies. While the presentation of data on the level of these geographical units is useful for statistical purposes, accounting for spatial variability for instance of environmental determinants of public health requires a more spatially homogeneous population distribution. For this purpose, the dataset presented here combines 2021/2022 UK Census population data on Output Area level with Land Cover Map 2021 land-use classes 'urban' and 'suburban' to create a consistent and comprehensive gridded population data product at 1 km x 1 km spatial resolution. The mapping product is based on British National Grid (OSGB36 datum).

European Union Population: EU 27 excl UK: Female data was reported at 229,492.073 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 228,870.208 Person th for 2022. European Union Population: EU 27 excl UK: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 223,851.793 Person th from Dec 1984 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 229,492.073 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 211,789.008 Person th in 1984. European Union Population: EU 27 excl UK: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G002: Eurostat: Population: by Sex.

Virgin Islands (British) Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 5,902.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6,089.000 Person for 2022. Virgin Islands (British) Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 4,460.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,685.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 3,347.000 Person in 1964. Virgin Islands (British) Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.;World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Sum;

Population growth (annual %) in British Virgin Islands was reported at 1.2389 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. British Virgin Islands - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Virgin Islands (British) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data was reported at 77.460 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 77.120 % for 2020. Virgin Islands (British) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 73.450 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 77.460 % in 2021 and a record low of 68.830 % in 1990. Virgin Islands (British) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows two condensed maps which use dots and proportional circles to illustrate the distribution of population of French and British origin, respectively, according to the 1951 census of Canada. Each map is accompanied by a pie chart which shows the British origin and French origin percentage population distribution by province and territory. For Canadian census purposes, a person's origin or cultural group is traced through the father to the paternal ancestor on first arrival to this continent. The term 'British' embraces all those of British Isles origin, that is, it includes those from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland.