UK population breaks through 60m

Population: 60.2m Births: 717,500 Deaths: 590,600 Net migration: 235,000 Highest growth: London Lowest growth: North West ONS data for year to 30 June 2005

The UK's population has broken through the 60 million barrier for the first time, figures show.

The Office for National Statistics said the number rose 0.6% to 60.2 million in the year to June 2005. England accounts for 50.4 million of the total.

It was the biggest annual rise since 1962, fuelled by migration from new EU countries and an ageing population.

The population has been rising since the Industrial Revolution. In 1911 there were 42 million people.

The ONS figures are estimates collated from birth and death records and International Passenger Survey data on foreign citizens staying in the UK for more than 12 months.

Northern Ireland, which saw a 0.8% rise in population registered the fastest growth. England's population grew by 0.7%, Scotland was up 0.3% and Wales 0.2%.

Worldwide urban growth map How does UK compare? A growing and ageing nation

ONS said Scotland's population in June 2005 was 5.1 million, Wales's was 3 million, and Northern Ireland's 1.7 million.

Overall population, which is projected to increase 12% over the next generation, rose 375,000 in the 12 months to 30 June last year.

The figures show the number of births was up, while the number of deaths fell.

The difference between births and deaths - so called natural change - increased to 127,000 over the 12 months, compared with 104,000 in the 2003-2004 period.

The UK had a record 1.17 million people aged over 85 in the year to 2005, a rise of 6% or 64,000 people.

Net international migration rose from 167,000 in 2003-2004 to 235,000 in 2004- 2005, the highest level since the estimates on levels were first produced in 1991.

Of that figure, migration from citizens of the eight new EU states such as Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic was 74,000, compared with 10,000 a year earlier.

In total, ONS estimated 588,000 people migrated to the UK while migration from the UK - including both Britons leaving to live abroad and foreign citizens returning to their home countries - fell by 8,000 to 353,000.

Migrants are also helping to boost the UK's population through the number of births.

"Had there been no migration whatever, the population of the country would have had fewer births," said Peter Goldblatt, of the ONS.

"The numbers of births would not have gone up."

Recent Home Office figures indicated the increase in migrants will show a further rise in next year's statistics. According to its data, about 600,000 people have come to work in the UK from the new EU nations between 2004 and 2006.

The government says migrant workers are helping to fill gaps in the UK's labour market, especially in administration, business and management, hospitality and catering.

But the rise has also lead some people to suggest the numbers made it increasingly difficult for local people to get jobs and put strains on public services.

WORLD POPULATION (RANKED BY DENSITY)
Country (OECD members)	Population in 2000 (m)	Area (sq km)	Density (people per sq km)
S Korea	46.7	98,977	472
Netherlands	15.9	41,364	384
Japan	127	371,705	342
Belgium	10.2	30,553	335
UK	59.4	247,193	240
Germany	82	356,027	230
Italy	57.5	299,287	192
Switzerland	7.1	38,975	184
Luxembourg	0.4	2,587	169
Czech Republic	10.3	78,616	131
Denmark	5.3	42,484	125
Poland	38.6	311,195	124
Slovak Republic	5.4	48,875	110
Portugal	10	91,421	110
Hungary	10	92,046	108
France	59.2	547,120	108
Austria	8	83,145	97
Turkey	66.7	768,690	87
Greece	10.6	131,891	80
Spain	39.9	505,275	79
Ireland	3.8	69,474	55
Mexico	98.9	1,943,018	51
US	283.2	9,210,755	31
Sweden	8.8	431,704	20
Finland	5.2	317,001	16
Norway	4.5	318,524	14
Canada	30.8	9,458,886	3
Iceland	0.2	91,116	3
Australia	19.1	7,634,648	3
Source: Sedac/ UN

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