UK Population Surge: Net Migration Drives Growth Amid Economic Boost

The UK population is predicted to rise to 72.5 million by 2032, largely due to net migration. This increase could relieve government borrowing pressures, despite ongoing political debates about immigration. Births and deaths are projected to even out, while migration, primarily from outside the EU, continues to grow.

The UK population is set to climb to 72.5 million by 2032, up from 67.6 million in 2022, with net migration being the primary driver, according to the Office for National Statistics. The data has rekindled debates over public service capacities and the economic necessity of foreign labor.

Successive UK governments, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour administration, have aimed to curb immigration, a contentious issue that influenced the Brexit vote in 2016 and spurred the right-wing Reform UK party's rise. The ONS projects a net migration of 4.9 million, fueling population growth over a decade.

For Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, these population figures hint at economic gains, potentially easing government borrowing. Analyst Adam Corlett noted that a larger workforce could deliver a fiscal boost of around £5 billion annually by the decade's end. Meanwhile, birth and death rates are expected to stabilize, with the older post-war generation contributing to a rise in deaths.

(With inputs from agencies.)