The population of England and Wales has seen its most substantial annual increase in 75 years. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released on July 15, the increase was driven by a surge of over one million arrivals from overseas in the span of a year. The ONS also highlighted the fact the British nations saw their lowest number of births since 2002.
According to the data, between mid-2022 and mid-2023, an additional 610,000 people were added to the combined population of England and Wales, bringing their total population to 60.9 million. Scotland and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom’s other constituent Home Nations, keep separate statistics.
Natural population change among existing residents in England and Wales nearly balanced out, with only 400 more births than deaths.
While London recorded higher levels of inward migration compared to other regions, an exodus of the hyper-diverse capital’s existing residents to other parts of England and Wales slowed its overall growth rate to 0.9 percent.
This population increase is the highest since 1948, when there was a surge in overseas soldiers returning after World War II and a baby boom.
Britain’s new Labour government has already scrapped plans to transfer boat migrants to Rwanda, which has been followed by an uptick in illegal immigration.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has stated that the leftist government will spread asylum seekers across the country.