Official figures reveal how much the UK’s population has climbed by and where

UK population figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – the first UK-wide estimates for mid-2022, making them the most up-to-date snapshot of the country’s population.

The UK population stood at an estimated 67.6 million people in mid-2022, up by 4.3 million since mid-2011, new figures show.

England saw the biggest percentage increase across the period, with its population jumping by 7.5% – the equivalent of 4.0 million.

Northern Ireland saw the next highest increase at 5.3%, or an additional 96,225 people, followed by Scotland (2.8% or 147,800 people) and Wales (2.2% or 67,882 people).

They show the median average age of people in the UK in the year to June 2022 was 40.7 years, up from 39.6 years in the year to June 2011.

All four nations now have a median age in the 40s, with Scotland recording the oldest, at 43.0 years, followed by Wales (42.9), England (40.5) and Northern Ireland (40.0).

Population estimates for Scotland for the years before 2022 have yet to be revised to account for the latest Census, which took place here in March 2022, a year later than in the rest of the UK.