London population surges to all-time high of 8.8 million

LONDON’S population surged by more than 100,000 last year to hit a new alltime high of almost 8.8 million, latest official figures reveal today.

The capital was once again the nation’s fastest-growing region, with a growth rate of 1.3 per cent, more than twice that of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the north of England.

The fast pace contributed more than a fifth of the overall increase in the UK population of 538,000 to 65.65 million, a 0.8 per cent rise in line with previous years. Almost two-thirds of the increase is due to net immigration.

There were an estimated 8,787,892 people living in London in June last year, up by 114,179 on the 8,673,713 in June 2015, according to calculations by the Office for National Statistics.

The increase is the equivalent to a town the size of Cheltenham being added to the population of London in a single year. The capital’s population has exploded in recent years after passing the eight million mark in 2010.

Today’s figures show that of 14 local authority areas showing population increases of two per cent or above, eight were in London. They were Westminster, Camden, City of London, Islington, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Barking and Dagenham.

Today’s figures also show that London has a much younger population than most of the rest of Britain, with a median age of 34.8 compared with a national average of 40. Only 11.6 per cent of Londoners are aged over 65, compared with 33.3 per cent in west Somerset.

However, there has also been a marked acceleration in the number of people leaving London for other parts of the country. Net migration from the capital last year was 93,302, the highest since 2004.

The increase is likely to be largely the result of the yawning gap between house prices in London and most of the rest of Britain.

The ONS data suggests that thousands of people arrive in the capital in their twenties in search of jobs and excitement but leave when they reach their thirties to find more living space when they start their families.

Increase is equivalent to a town the size of Cheltenham being added to the capital’s population in one year