Clive Bull 1am - 4am
UK population set to hit 72.5 million by 2032 up almost five million from 2022, new ONS figures reveal
28 January 2025, 09:41 | Updated: 28 January 2025, 10:23
The UK population is projected to reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, up nearly five million from 67.6 million in mid-2022, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projects the rise from 67.6 million in mid-2022 will be driven almost entirely by net migration, with the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country estimated to total 4.9 million over the 10-year period.
The natural population - the difference between births and deaths - is projected to be "around zero."
While births are projected to increase slightly, the increase is balanced out by a projected increase in deaths due to the relatively large number of people reaching older ages who were born during the so-called baby boom in the wake of the Second World War.
Read more: Half of the population will end up in A&E unless NHS is reformed, warns England’s top doctor
The level of net migration is projected to average 340,000 per year from mid-2028 onwards, lower than current levels.
The data also suggests that the UK is set to be even more gray, with 1 in 10 of the UK population projected to be 75 and over by 2032.
The number of people at state pension age - taking into account the planned rise to 67 - is projected to rise by 1.7 million between mid-2022 and mid-2032, up from an estimated 12.0 million to 13.7 million people.