The population of England and Wales grew by 706,881 people in the year leading to June 2024, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This jump was mostly due to immigration, with net migration making up 690,147 of the total increase, as per the ONS report.
Net migration is the difference between people coming in and those leaving. In this case, about 1,142,303 people moved into England and Wales, while 452,156 people left, data by ONS said.
A small portion of the growth came from natural change — meaning the difference between births and deaths, according to the statistics watchdog. As of mid-2024, the total population in England and Wales was estimated at 61.8 million, up from 61.1 million in mid-2023, as stated in the report by The Independent.
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This rise of 1.2% in just one year is the second biggest population increase since 1949. The biggest was a jump of 821,210 the year before, from June 2022 to June 2023. That means 1.5 million people were added to the population between June 2022 and June 2024, making it the largest two-year increase ever recorded.
Migration has been driving population growth since 2000
Nigel Henretty from the ONS said population has grown every year since 1982, and recent years have seen faster growth due to migration. He added that net international migration has been the main driver of population growth since the early 2000s, according to the report by The Independent.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, reacted sharply to the figures, calling them “disastrous for the quality of life” in Britain. Farage said high migration puts “impossible pressures on public services” and “divides communities”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to reduce migration, even going further than past Conservative policies. Starmer warned Britain is turning into an “island of strangers”, a phrase that caused controversy as it echoed Enoch Powell’s views.
UK government promises new rules to control immigration
The PM plans to ban care worker recruitment from abroad, raise English language requirements, and tighten skilled worker visas and has proposed reforms to implement them. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper blamed the high numbers on the previous Conservative government, calling it a “Tory legacy”, as per the report by The Independent.
Cooper said the Conservatives’ “open borders experiment” caused net migration to quadruple, hitting almost 1 million per year in 2023. She also criticised the Tories for cutting UK-based training, relying heavily on overseas hiring, allowing low-skilled migration to rise, and failing to require new arrivals to speak English.
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Cooper claimed migration has dropped steeply since the new government took office. According to the ONS, before 1999, natural change (births minus deaths) used to be the main reason for population growth. But since then, migration has become the dominant factor, as mentioned in the report by The Independent.
The recent two-year rise in population (2022–2024) is unmatched in modern history, showing how immigration is reshaping England and Wales like never before — based on historical ONS records
The population is rising mainly because more people are moving in than leaving, says the ONS.
Q2. How much did immigration add to England and Wales in 2024?
Net migration added around 690,000 people to the population between June 2023 and June 2024.
Net migration is the difference between people coming in and those leaving. In this case, about 1,142,303 people moved into England and Wales, while 452,156 people left, data by ONS said.
A small portion of the growth came from natural change — meaning the difference between births and deaths, according to the statistics watchdog. As of mid-2024, the total population in England and Wales was estimated at 61.8 million, up from 61.1 million in mid-2023, as stated in the report by The Independent.
ALSO READ: Diddy seeks $50 million bond release ahead of sentencing, will the judge let him walk?
This rise of 1.2% in just one year is the second biggest population increase since 1949. The biggest was a jump of 821,210 the year before, from June 2022 to June 2023. That means 1.5 million people were added to the population between June 2022 and June 2024, making it the largest two-year increase ever recorded.
Migration has been driving population growth since 2000
Nigel Henretty from the ONS said population has grown every year since 1982, and recent years have seen faster growth due to migration. He added that net international migration has been the main driver of population growth since the early 2000s, according to the report by The Independent.Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, reacted sharply to the figures, calling them “disastrous for the quality of life” in Britain. Farage said high migration puts “impossible pressures on public services” and “divides communities”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to reduce migration, even going further than past Conservative policies. Starmer warned Britain is turning into an “island of strangers”, a phrase that caused controversy as it echoed Enoch Powell’s views.
UK government promises new rules to control immigration
The PM plans to ban care worker recruitment from abroad, raise English language requirements, and tighten skilled worker visas and has proposed reforms to implement them. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper blamed the high numbers on the previous Conservative government, calling it a “Tory legacy”, as per the report by The Independent.Cooper said the Conservatives’ “open borders experiment” caused net migration to quadruple, hitting almost 1 million per year in 2023. She also criticised the Tories for cutting UK-based training, relying heavily on overseas hiring, allowing low-skilled migration to rise, and failing to require new arrivals to speak English.
ALSO READ: Bar K dog bar shuts down all locations in St. Louis, Kansas city, and Oklahoma city over financial struggles—no membership refunds
Cooper claimed migration has dropped steeply since the new government took office. According to the ONS, before 1999, natural change (births minus deaths) used to be the main reason for population growth. But since then, migration has become the dominant factor, as mentioned in the report by The Independent.
The recent two-year rise in population (2022–2024) is unmatched in modern history, showing how immigration is reshaping England and Wales like never before — based on historical ONS records
FAQs
Q1. Why is the population of England and Wales increasing so fast?The population is rising mainly because more people are moving in than leaving, says the ONS.
Q2. How much did immigration add to England and Wales in 2024?
Net migration added around 690,000 people to the population between June 2023 and June 2024.