UK population now at 65 million as 135,000 more people now call London home

Capital’s population now above 8.5 million

The UK’s population now stands at 65 million, official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed today.

Britain saw its population swelling by 513,000 residents in the 12 months to the middle of 2015.

London added 135,000 people in the above-mentioned period taking the capital’s population to over 8.5 million.

Simon Ross, chief executive of charity Population Matters, said: “The UK population is growing faster than even the concerning trend of recent years. Near record net migration and an excess of births over deaths, to which migration also contributes, are combining to keep the UK near the top of European population growth.”

“London and the South-East, already two of Europe’s most densely populated areas, are growing denser still.  Population growth will feed into existing concerns about housing affordability, transport congestion and access to schools and healthcare. These figures are further evidence that we must act now to limit future growth.”