The UK population is estimated to have grown by more than three-quarters of a million in the year to June 2024, the second largest annual numerical increase since the late 1940s, new figures show.
The jump was driven almost entirely by international migration, with natural change – more births than deaths – responsible for only a tiny proportion.
A record 69.3 million people were estimated to be in the UK in mid-2024, up 755,254 (1.1%) from 68.5 million in mid-2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Net international migration – the difference between people moving to the country and leaving – contributed most to population growth in all four nations of the UK, the ONS said.
The population of the UK continued to grow in the year to mid-2024, reaching an estimated 69.3 million people (69,281,400), up 1.1% (755,300) from mid-2023.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 26, 2025
This growth represents the second-largest annual numerical increase for over 75 years.
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Some 1,235,254 people were estimated to have immigrated to the UK in the 12 months to June 2024 while 496,536 were likely to have emigrated, meaning net migration was 738,718.
This accounted for 98% of the UK’s overall increase in population across this period.
There were slightly more births (662,148) than deaths (645,909) in the year to mid-2024, which added just 16,239 to the total.
The overall increase of 755,254 is the second biggest year-on-year numerical jump in population since at least 1949, which is the earliest comparable ONS data.
It is behind only the rise of 890,049 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
This means the UK population is estimated to have grown by 1.6 million between June 2022 and June 2024: the largest two-year jump since current records began.
Nigel Henretty of the ONS said: “The UK population has increased each year since mid-1982.
“Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century.
“The rate of population increase has been higher in recent years, and the rise seen in the year to mid-2024 represents the second largest annual increase in numerical terms in over 75 years.”
