UK population reaches 66.8million

THE ESTIMATED population of the UK has hit 66.8 million after growing at the slowest rate for 15 years, official figures show.

According to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday, there were an estimated 66,796,807 people living in the country at the end of June last year.

The population growth rate over the 12 months to the middle of 2019 was 0.5%, the slowest since mid-2004, the ONS said.

It said decreasing numbers of births and net international migration had contributed to the growth rate figure.

The year to mid-2019 saw the fewest births since mid-2005, at 722,000.

The ONS said net international migration of 231,000 people was 44,000 fewer than in the year to mid-2018.

This change was a result of 17,000 fewer immigrants arriving than in the previous year (a 3% decrease) and 28,000 more emigrants (an 8% increase).

Meanwhile, there were 593,000 deaths in the year to mid-2019, 5% fewer than in the previous year.

According to the ONS, in mid-2019, there were an estimated 12.4 million people aged 65 years and over - 18.5% of the population - while 2.5% of people were aged 85 or older.

The highest proportions of older people were most commonly found in coastal areas of southern and eastern England, the ONS said.

The UK’s population also appears to have an uneven spread, with the density ranging from 5,700 people per square kilometre across London to fewer than 50 people per square kilometre in the UK’s most rural local authorities, the ONS said.