Immigration sees population surge 700,000 in a year

THE population of England and Wales soared by more than 700,000 in just a year with mass immigration the main cause, it was revealed yesterday.

- By Jonathan Walker Whitehall Editor

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the rise “disastrous for the quality of life for everyone in the country”, while Tories warned that pressure on housing and social cohesion was now unacceptable.

There were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024 — up by 706,881 since mid-2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

It is the second largest rise ever, beaten only by the previous 12 months. Net international migration, the gap between arrivals and departures, was the “main driver” at 98% (690,147) of the leap.

Some 1,142,303 new people arrived in England and Wales while 452,156 left. There were also more births than deaths in the year.