Net Migration Fuels Second-Biggest Population Rise in 75 Years
31st July 2025
The population of England and Wales has experienced its second-biggest annual jump in 75 years because of surging immigration, figures show.
There were an estimated 61.8 million people living in England and Wales as of June last year, an increase of 706,881 on mid-2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figures showed the population grew by an estimated 1.2 per cent — faster than the average growth of 0.7 per cent recorded over the past decade.
Net migration — the difference between people moving to a country and those leaving — was the main driver of the population growth, contributing 690,147 to the increase.