UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – ONS data shows England and Wales’ population rose by 706,881 in 2024, mostly due to migration, the second-biggest annual increase in 75 years.
As reported by The Independent, official figures show a historic rise in the population of England and Wales, the largest in decades.
What did the ONS reveal about England and Wales’ population surge?
The Office for National Statistics reported a 700,000 rise in population in the year to June, largely driven by net migration.
The watchdog said just a small share of the rise was due to natural change, the difference between births and deaths. The majority, 690,147 people, came through net migration, with more arriving than leaving.
New data reveals around 1.1 million people arrived in England and Wales between June 2023 and June 2024. In the same period, about 452,000 people are believed to have left.
The ONS said the population of England and Wales hit 61.8 million by mid-2024. That’s a 1.2% rise from 61.1 million in mid-2023.
According to the ONS, it marks the second-biggest population increase since 1949.
The highest was a rise of 821,210 recorded from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
A surge of 706,881 people in England and Wales in the year ending June 2024 is the second-highest increase based on ONS figures.
The rise is topped only by the record increase of 821,210 from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
In total, the population grew by 1.5 million over the two years to June 2024 — the largest two-year increase on record.
ONS stance on the sharpest rise in 75 years
Nigel Henretty from the ONS stated, “The population of England and Wales has increased each year since mid-1982. 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.”
He added, “Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century.”
What did Yvette Cooper say about Tory immigration failures?
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, “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, and on their watch, in the final year before the election, net migration was three times higher than at the start of the last parliament.”
She added, “Under the Tories, overseas recruitment shot up while training in the UK was cut, lower skilled migration soared while the proportion of UK residents in work plummeted, and hundreds of thousands of people were given visas to arrive and stay in the UK without any requirement on them to speak or learn English.”
Keir Starmer’s views on cutting migration numbers?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has moved to tighten immigration policy, aligning himself with Tory-era measures.
However, he was criticised for saying Britain could become an “island of strangers” — a phrase linked to Enoch Powell. He also said too much immigration is causing “incalculable damage” to the UK.
Mr Starmer also pledged to stop the recruitment of care workers from overseas, raise English language standards for immigrants, and tighten skilled worker visa rules.
Illegal migrants in the UK
- Removals up: 16,400 migrants removed in 2025, up 24%.
- Criminals: 2,580 serious foreign offenders deported.
- Boat arrivals: 86% came by small boats (44,125 people).
- Top groups: Afghans, Syrians, Eritreans.
- New sanctions: UK targets smugglers with freezes and bans.