UK population ‘rises 500,000 to 65million’

THE UK’s population has passed 65million, figures are expected to show today.

The estimate from the Office for National Statistics is thought to show the total went up by more than half a million in a year.

It means the population will have risen by nearly five million, or 8 per cent, in ten years.

The news could provide a last-minute boost for Brexit campaigners, who have criticised how EU freedom of movement rules affect the number of people arriving in the UK.

Support for Vote Leave is widely thought to have gathered pace after official figures in May put net migration at 333,000, and showed that 77,000 EU citizens arrive in Britain in a year.

Estimates of the population in the middle of 2015 have been scheduled for release today since last year, meaning they are not covered by the so-called purdah rules that prevent Whitehall releasing sensitive information during an election or referendum campaign.

ONS calculations of the population released in June last year put the total for the middle of 2014 at 64,596,800, and the increase over 12 months at 491,100. However, today’s estimate may show faster growth because net migration – the number of people added to the population after both immigration and emigration have been taken into account – was far lower, at 259,700, when the previous figure was calculated.

In the 12 months to the end of June last year covered in today’s figures, net migration hit a record 336,000.

Since immigration pushes up birthrates – because immigrant women are usually of childbearing age and are likely to have more children per head than women born in Brit- ain – immigration is thought to be responsible for two thirds of population increase.

The ONS has said that the population may reach almost 80million by 2039 if migration and birthrates remain so high.

The figures were due out at 9.30am, when there is more than 12 hours of voting left.

Lord Green of the Migration-Watch thinktank said: ‘It is a sign of the times that our population increase is now around half a million every year. If immigration continues at current levels we can expect the population to increase by 10million over the next 20 years, and then continue to go up.’