England’s population grew by 7.5% in just 10 years

Data show that in just over 10 years, England’s population has increased by 7.5%, equivalent to 4 million people.

By mid-2022, the UK population is estimated to be 67.6 million, an increase of 4.3 million since mid-2011.

After England, Northern Ireland had the second largest increase of 5.3%, or 96,225 people, followed by Scotland, with 2.8%, or 147,000 people, and Wales, with 2.2%, or 67,882 people.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures are the UK’s first estimates for mid-2022, giving it the latest snapshot of the country’s population.

They show that as of June 2022, the average median age of the UK population is 40.7 years, up from 39.6 years as of June 2011.

This means the average age is now around 40 in all four countries, with Scotland being the oldest at 43, followed by Wales at 42.9, England at 40.5 and Northern Ireland at 40.

The ONS said the data tended to show “a higher proportion of younger people in urban areas and a higher proportion of older people in rural areas”.

Scotland’s population estimates until 2022 have not yet been revised based on the latest census, which is taken a year later than the rest of the UK, in March 2022.

This means there are currently no comparable UK-wide estimates for the period 2012 to 2021, which is why the new data is compared to 2011, when all four countries held their censuses on the same day.

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Growth driven largely by international migration

The Office for National Statistics said it would publish the full set of latest population estimates for the UK after Scotland revised its figures for 2012-21.

Figures for England and Wales, released in November 2023, show that the combined population of the two countries grew by 1% in the 12 months to June 2022, the fastest growth for 60 years.

Unlike the baby boom that fueled economic growth in the early 1960s, this growth has been driven primarily by international migration rather than natural change.