The population of the United Kingdom increased by 1% to reach 68.3 million by mid-2023, primarily due to high levels of immigration, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The main driver of this population growth across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland was net international migration.
In contrast, the natural change in population, which considers the balance between births and deaths, fell by 16,300. This decline happened sooner than expected, as previous ONS forecasts suggested this trend would not occur until the mid-2030s.
The UK has seen a significant rise in immigration in recent years, fueled by economic migrants and individuals arriving through irregular routes, such as small boat crossings. This surge has ignited political debates regarding the pressure on public services, which have faced years of underfunding. In mid-2023, the population of England and Wales grew by 610,000, marking the largest annual increase in 75 years. In comparison, net migration in 2015, just before the Brexit referendum, stood at 329,000.
Both England and Wales experienced the highest growth rates, each seeing a 1% increase. Scotland followed with a 0.8% rise, while Northern Ireland recorded a 0.5% increase. Since Brexit, immigration patterns have shifted, with fewer migrants arriving from the European Union, but more from countries like India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, mainly to fill gaps in health and social care roles.
Recent protests related to immigration by far-right groups highlight the growing political tensions in the UK, posing a challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's newly elected Labour government. Starmer has adopted a different strategy from his predecessor, abandoning the controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda and opting for a more pragmatic approach to managing illegal migration.
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