Current projections have the United Kingdom's population surpassing 75 million in 2060 and experiencing continued growth throughout the century reaching 77.97 million in 2099.

The United Kingdom is expected to surpass the population of Germany around 2080.

The population growth rate in the UK is relatively slow at 0.6% per year. The fertility rate is only 1.8 births per woman, below the population replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman. However, a large part of this increase in the population is net migration, which was 626,000 in 2019. For the fifth year in a row, net migration was a larger contributor to the population change than births and deaths were.

United Kingdom Population Growth

Released in 2011, the figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that natural growth in the UK is at its highest level since the so-called ‘baby boom’ years of the 1960s. This natural change, the difference between the current birth rate and death rate, was also reported to be responsible for over 52% of the UK population’s growth.

Increased fertility also contributed to the rising population in the United Kingdom, with rising fertility rising among women born in the UK and an increase in the number of female immigrants of child-bearing age. During 2010, the number of births within the UK totaled 797,000, the highest number recorded since 1991. This contributed to the overall population growth of 3.1 million people between 2001 and 2010.

United Kingdom Population Projections

The United Kingdom's population is expected to continue its rise throughout the 21st century. Driven by modest natural increase and positive net immigration, the population will reach 77 million by 2050, according to the ONS projections. The UN projections for 2050 are slightly lower at 75 million.