24/08/2006

UK population tops 60 million

The population of the UK has increased to more than 60 million for the first time, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics has shown.

The figures showed an increase of 0.6% or 375,000 to 60.2 million by June last year.

The ONS attributed the rise, the biggest annual increase since 1962, to net migrational growth and an ageing population.

Net international migration increased from 167,000 in 2003-04 to 235,000 in 2004-05, the highest level since 1991.

Migration from the eight countries which joined the European Union in 2004, including Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, made up 74,000 of that figure - an increase from 10,000 a year earlier.

The ONS said that there were now 50.4 million people living in England. Wales has a population of three million, Scotland has 5.1 million and Northern Ireland has 1.7 million.

(KMcA)

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