1. POPULATION OF GREAT BRITAIN
FACTS and FIGERS

2. Great Britain is heavily populated compared with many other countries.
Britain is a relatively densely populated country: it is more than twice as densely populated as France (106 people per sq.km), nine times as densely populated as the USA (27 people per sq.km) and 100 times as densely populated as Australia (2 people per sq.km).
Britain ranks 18th in the world in terms of population size.

3. The population is very unequally distributed over the four parts of the UK:
England more or less constantly makes up 84% of the total population, Wales around 5%, Scotland roughly 8.5 %, and Northern Ireland (since 1921) less than 3%.

4. POPULATION England 50,093,800 50,431,700 50,762,900 51.1 million
Administrative Division Population
(mid 2004) (mid 2005) (mid 2006) (mid 2007)
England ,093, ,431, ,762, million
Northern Ireland
1,710, ,724, ,741, million
Scotland ,078, ,094, ,116, million
Wales ,952, ,958, ,965, million
United Kingdom
59, , ,587, ,975,000

5. Nearly 84 per cent of the total population of the United Kingdom lives in England.
The most densely populated areas of England are the major cities and metropolitan areas of London and the South East, South and West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, the West Midlands, and the conurbations on the rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees. London has the highest population density with 4,00 people per square kilometre, and the South West the lowest (210 people per square kilometre).

6. England is by far the most densely populated part of the UK.
In 2003, it had a population density of 383 people per sq km compared with Wales (142), Northern Ireland (125) and Scotland (65). London had a far higher population density than any of the English regions, with 4,700 people living in each square kilometre on average.
England's population density is more than treble the European average of 117 people per sq km.
England is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

7. Resident Population
For the first time ever, the UK has more people aged over 60 than under 16.
Today there are five times more people aged over 85 than there were in 1951.
United Kingdom
All ages million
Under million
Men ,
Women million
Men 65+,
Women million
Males million
Females million

8. Population Timeline 1600 Population of Britain just over 4 million
1700 Population of Britain 5 million
1801 Population of Britain 8 million
1851 Population of Britain 20 million
1901 Population of Britain 40 million
1951 Population of Britain 50 million
1998 Population of Britain just over 57 million

9. Population by Ethnic Group, April 2001:
Total Population Minority ethnic population
Thousands per cent per cent
White ,
Mixed
Asian or Asian British:
Indian ,
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Other Asian
Black or Black British
Black Caribbean
Black African
Black Other
Chinese
Other
All minority ethnic population 4,
All population ,

10. Timeline: Immigration to Britain
1100s Merchants from Netherlands and settle
1500s Queen Mary marries Philip of Spain
1600s Asians brought to England as Slaves Dutch and French Protestants settle
1700s Refugees from the French revolution (1789) arrive
First records of Chinese sailors in London

11. Timeline: Immigration to Britain
1800s
Jewish arrivals fleeing persecution in Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.
Irish settlers escaping poverty during the famine in Ireland.
Trade brings Indian and Chinese people to main ports
Jews flee to UK from Russia and Poland

12. Timeline: Immigration to Britain
More than 250,000 Belgian refugees fled to the UK, escaping the fighting of the First World War.
1930s - Refugees from Nazi oppression arrive in the UK
Polish people homeless because of the War, invited to come to UK
The boat Windrush brings 492 Jamaicans to the UK – thousands more follow
Immigration from Caribbean encouraged to help rebuild post-war Britain

13. Timeline: Immigration to Britain
1950s and 60s - Settlers from other new Commonwealth nations arrive – India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
1970s - East African, Asians and Vietnamese arrive
Asians expelled from Uganda; admitted to UK
1980s - African community expands
Refugees arrive from Eastern Europe – Romania and former Yugoslavia

14. Timeline: Immigration to Britain
Break up of the government of Somalia lead to 7,500 applications being made to the UK many of which are accepted.
,500 Bosnians enter the UK as refugees following the break up of former Yugoslavia
Renewed heavy fighting in Sri Lanka leads to 5,130 applications for asylum being made to the UK