Population of England and Wales sees second-largest annual surge in over 75 years, driven by migration

08/02/2025 / By Laura Harris

The population of England and Wales rose by over 700,000 in the year to June 2024, the second-largest annual increase in over 75 years, reaching an estimated 61.8 million.
Net international migration accounted for 98 percent of the growth, with 1.14 million arrivals and 452,000 departures, resulting in a net gain of 690,147 people.
The drop in net migration from the previous year (833,696) is partly due to Conservative-era restrictions on student and care worker visas and increased student emigration.
Births only slightly outnumbered deaths, contributing just under 30,000 to the population rise, reflecting an aging population and declining fertility.
Conservatives warned of “unsustainable” population pressures, blaming Labour for failing to act, while the Labour government pointed to record-high migration under Tory leadership and defended recent reforms aimed at reducing numbers.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that the population of England and Wales surged by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024, marking the second-largest annual increase in over three-quarters of a century.

According to the data, the population reached an estimated 61.8 million in mid-2024 up 706,881 from 61.1 million the previous year. Nearly all of this growth, 98 percent, was attributed to net international migration, underscoring its central role in driving demographic change in the United Kingdom.

In the 12 months to June 2024, approximately 1.14 million people immigrated to England and Wales, while about 452,000 left, resulting in a net migration of 690,147. Although still historically high, this marks a decline from the previous year’s net migration figure of 833,696.

The fall is partly attributed to new migration rules introduced in early 2024 under the outgoing Conservative government. These included curbs on international students bringing dependents and restrictions on care workers from overseas doing the same. Additionally, more foreign students are believed to have left the U.K. after completing their courses.

Natural population growth, the difference between births and deaths, contributed just 29,982 to the overall increase, with 596,012 births and 566,030 deaths recorded during the period. This limited contribution reflects the aging population and ongoing decline in fertility rates in the United Kingdom.

“The population of England and Wales has increased each year since mid-1982,” Nigel Henretty of the ONS said. “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. Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century.”

U.K. population surge fuels political clash

In line with the results, Conservative shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam warned that the population of the U.K. was rising at an “unsustainable pace” and accused the Labour government of failing to get a grip on immigration. (Related: Illegal immigrants rejoice following leftist victory in British election.)

“This isn’t about numbers on a spreadsheet, it’s about pressure on housing, NHS waiting lists, school places, wages and it’s about community and our culture. Britain simply cannot plan or build fast enough to keep up. Lam also criticized the government’s failure to deal with illegal immigration, referencing reports of a “one out, 17 in” migrant returns arrangement with France. We must secure our borders and deliver a fair and sustainable immigration system that works for the British people,” Lam said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hit back, blaming the record migration levels on the previous Conservative administration, which she said had presided over a “failed open borders experiment.”

“Their failed open borders experiment resulted in net migration quadrupling to a peak of almost a million per year in 2023, even as they promised it would fall. Since the election, net migration has come steeply down, and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we have set out new measures in the Immigration White Paper and have already changed immigration rules to bring net migration down further. To be successful, effective and fair, our immigration system must be properly controlled and managed. Out of the chaos and failure of the Tory past, that is what this government will deliver,” Cooper said.

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