U.K. Population (LIVE)

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United Kingdom Population (1950 - 2026)

Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of the United Kingdom is 69,817,568 as of Monday, February 23, 2026, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • the United Kingdom 2026 population is estimated at 69,931,528 people at mid-year.
  • the United Kingdom population is equivalent to 0.84% of the total world population.
  • the U.K. ranks number 22 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in the United Kingdom is 289 per Km² (749 people per mi²).
  • The total land area is 241,930 Km² (93,410 sq. miles).
  • 84.70% of the population is urban (59,235,047 people in 2026)
  • The median age in the United Kingdom is 40.2 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of the United Kingdom (2026 and historical)

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country's Share of World Pop World Population U.K. Global Rank
2026 69,931,528 0.55% 380,196 364,099 40.2 1.53 289 84.7% 59,235,047 0.84% 8,300,678,395 22
2025 69,551,332 0.6% 413,140 389,911 40.1 1.54 287 84.5% 58,798,650 0.84% 8,231,613,070 22
2024 69,138,192 0.66% 455,230 417,114 40 1.55 286 84.4% 58,353,588 0.85% 8,161,972,572 21
2023 68,682,962 0.74% 503,647 445,523 39.8 1.56 284 84.3% 57,900,076 0.85% 8,091,734,930 21
2022 68,179,315 0.61% 413,727 487,029 39.5 1.56 282 84.2% 57,438,662 0.85% 8,021,407,192 21
2020 67,351,861 0.6% 393,950 144,221 39.2 1.57 278 83.9% 56,495,180 0.85% 7,887,001,292 21
2015 65,382,110 0.74% 475,125 347,839 38.8 1.8 270 82.6% 54,035,311 0.88% 7,470,491,872 21
2010 63,006,483 0.78% 482,075 274,811 38.2 1.92 260 81.7% 51,469,697 0.90% 7,021,732,148 22
2005 60,596,108 0.52% 307,754 308,279 37.5 1.76 250 79.5% 48,178,255 0.92% 6,586,970,132 21
2000 59,057,338 0.31% 180,541 153,917 36.6 1.64 244 78.5% 46,365,434 0.96% 6,171,702,993 21
1995 58,154,635 0.27% 157,355 61,385 35.6 1.71 240 78.1% 45,427,516 1.01% 5,758,878,982 20
1990 57,367,862 0.27% 152,290 57,132 34.9 1.83 237 77.9% 44,683,287 1.08% 5,327,803,110 17
1985 56,606,414 0.11% 64,862 83,164 34.3 1.79 234 78.2% 44,263,815 1.16% 4,868,943,465 15
1980 56,282,103 0.02% 12,392 −25,187 33.3 1.89 233 78.5% 44,157,482 1.27% 4,447,606,236 14
1975 56,220,143 0.2% 111,268 −40,241 32.9 1.81 232 77.7% 43,667,185 1.38% 4,070,735,277 13
1970 55,663,801 0.48% 260,956 −15,254 33.2 2.42 230 77.1% 42,903,762 1.51% 3,694,683,794 12
1965 54,359,020 0.68% 364,094 −24,955 34.1 2.87 225 77.7% 42,259,485 1.63% 3,334,533,703 10
1960 52,538,548 0.53% 272,360 19,953 34.5 2.7 217 78.3% 41,130,617 1.74% 3,015,470,894 9
1955 51,176,747 0.42% 211,146 9,403 34.1 2.28 212 78.6% 40,241,373 1.87% 2,740,213,792 9

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

United Kingdom Population Forecast

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country's Share of World Pop World Population U.K. Global Rank
2030 71,286,992 0.49% 347,132 330,856 40.7 1.52 295 85.4% 60,898,532 0.83% 8,569,124,911 21
2035 72,656,815 0.38% 273,965 280,500 41.5 1.53 300 86.5% 62,822,134 0.82% 8,885,210,181 21
2040 73,774,626 0.31% 223,562 236,786 42.1 1.53 305 87.6% 64,639,304 0.80% 9,177,190,203 23
2045 74,753,658 0.26% 195,806 214,341 42.5 1.54 309 88.8% 66,381,393 0.79% 9,439,639,668 25
2050 75,504,681 0.2% 150,205 196,199 42.9 1.55 312 90.1% 68,007,652 0.78% 9,664,378,587 26

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

United Kingdom Demographics (2026)

Life Expectancy
81.8 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality Rate
3.4

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Deaths under age 5
4.0

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in the U.K.

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 London 10,416,420
2 Birmingham 2,631,757
3 Manchester 2,535,427
4 Liverpool 1,227,470
5 Leeds 1,065,607
6 Glasgow 970,320
7 Newcastle upon Tyne 760,969
8 Nottingham 649,610
9 Bristol 615,703
10 Sheffield 549,695
11 Leicester 530,264
12 Edinburgh 521,784
13 Portsmouth 488,385
14 Brighton 467,937
15 Belfast 441,925
16 Coventry 427,678
17 Cardiff 390,692
18 Bournemouth 386,557
19 Middlesbrough 349,436
20 Southampton 347,446
21 Stoke-on-Trent 332,542
22 Hull 322,100
23 Wakefield 306,684
24 Southend-on-Sea 280,158
25 Reading 274,632
26 Luton 273,544
27 Derby 271,170
28 Gillingham 258,422
29 Plymouth 257,281
30 Northampton 222,991
31 Milton Keynes 211,234
32 Walton-on-Thames 205,663
33 Farnham 202,349
34 Norwich 195,969
35 Swindon 195,820
36 Blackpool 193,561
37 Aberdeen 188,927
38 Preston 183,362
39 Sunderland 182,966
40 Peterborough 178,184
41 Ipswich 175,504
42 Oxford 172,436
43 Slough 167,492
44 Dundee 159,648
45 Huddersfield 159,354
46 Warrington 152,208
47 York 150,274
48 Blackburn 145,401
49 Swansea 141,420
50 Burnley 140,995
51 Cambridge 140,937
52 Gloucester 139,667
53 Telford 137,637
54 Colchester 134,095
55 Margate 132,833
56 Grimsby 128,440
57 Polegate 124,504
58 Cheltenham 119,298
59 Newport 119,212
60 Lincoln 116,742
61 Barnsley 115,047
62 Torquay 113,689
63 Wigan 112,087
64 High Wycombe 111,988
65 Basingstoke 110,509
66 Chelmsford 110,371
67 Crawley 110,089
68 Bedford 109,667
69 Wishaw 109,579
70 Maidstone 109,320
More info

See also


Notes

The United Kingdom Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of United Kingdom delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of United Kingdom (1950 - 2026) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2026.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2026. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2026: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2026: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by the U.K. in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.