Population Surge: UK Faces Immigration-Driven Growth Dilemma

The UK's population is expected to grow to 72.5 million by 2032 due largely to net immigration, according to the Office for National Statistics. This trend fuels debates over public services and foreign workers' contributions to the economy. Successive governments have pledged to cut immigration while handling public service challenges.

In a recent report, the Office for National Statistics projected that the UK's population will reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, driven nearly entirely by net migration. This statistic highlights Britain's ongoing struggle with immigration, a topic that remains at the forefront of the political arena.

Successive administrations, including current Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, have pledged to reduce immigration. This issue was pivotal in the Brexit vote of 2016 and continues to fuel the rise of the right-wing Reform UK party.

The report indicates that net migration, projected at 4.9 million over the next decade, will be the primary factor in population growth. Births and deaths are expected to offset each other, with deaths increasing as large birth cohorts from post-1945 age. Recent visa changes have sharply reduced EU migrant numbers, but migration from India, Nigeria, and Pakistan has filled crucial vacancies.

(With inputs from agencies.)