UK population expected to grow and age faster, new ONS estimates show

The UK population is expected to grow faster in coming years and the number of people older than 80 years of age will more than double over the next 25 years.

According to fresh estimates from the Office for National Statistics, the current UK population of just over 64.6m will breach 70m in the next 12 years and expand 15% to top the 74m mark before the next 25 years are up, thanks to the effects of international migration and immigration.

The ONS said the rate is faster than previously forecast.

"Today’s population projections show a growing and ageing population," said ONS director Guy Goodwin. "Growth will be at a faster rate than we have seen previously, largely due to the direct impact of international migration and the indirect impact of immigration."

Over the 10-year period to mid-2024, the UK population is projected to increase by 4.4m to 69.0m, 249,000 higher than the previous projection.

Goodwin added that the population will also be older, as those born shortly after World War Two and during the 1960s baby-boom reach the oldest and pensionable ages respectively.

The population is projected to continue ageing with the average median age rising from 40.0 years in 2014 to 40.9 years in mid-2024 and 42.9 by mid-2039, with more than one in twelve of the population is projected to be aged 80 or over by mid-2039.

"Today's figures are used to inform policies, such as on pensions, migration and care, and for the planning of housing and services. It is important to remember that these are not predictions or forecasts, but estimates based on current trends and input from some of the UK’s top demographic experts," the ONS commented.