UK population to rival France

THE UK has moved closer to overtaking France to become the second most populous country in the European Union, official figures show.

As of January the UK had an estimated 65.8 million inhabitants and France’sm population was 67 million, according to data published by the EU’s statistical agency Eurostat.

The UK figure saw an annual rise of more than 400,000, meaning it has narrowed the gap to

France in second to just more than 1.2 million.

In 2016, the difference between the two countries was close to 1.4 million, while in 2010 it stood at more than two million.

Germany remains the most populous member, with 82.8 million residents.