The population of the United Kingdom has grown to 61.8 million, according to estimates released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

• The population of the UK was 61.8 million in mid-2009, up by 394,000 (0.6 per cent) on the previous year and an increase of 2.7 million compared with mid-2001.
• In the eight years since 2001, the population has increased by an average of 0.6 per cent per year. This compares with 0.3 per cent per year between 1991 and 2001, and 0.2 per cent between 1981 and 1991.
• Natural change (the difference between births and deaths) accounted for 55 per cent of UK population growth over the year to mid-2009, the second time this decade that it has contributed more than net long-term international migration (the difference between long-term migration into and out of the UK).
• Since 2002 natural change has accounted for an increasing proportion of total population change. The main driver of this has been the number of births. In the year to mid-2009 there were 123,000 more births than the year to mid-2002, when natural change was at its lowest.
• Net migration accounted for 45 per cent of the UK population growth, with gross flows of migrants remaining at the levels seen over the past five years.
• The UK population continues to age gradually. The number of people aged 85 and over reached 1.4 million in mid-2009, accounting for more than 2.2 per cent of the total population. In 1981 this age group accounted for 1.1 per cent of the population and had 0.6 million people in it. The gender difference in the population aged 85 and over has decreased. In mid-2009 men accounted for 32 per cent of the population aged 85 and over, compared with just over 23 per cent in mid-1981.

Background Notes
1. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
2. Mid-2009 population estimates for the UK and England & Wales released today can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106.
3. Mid-2009 population estimates for Scotland are published by the General Register Office for Scotland and can be found at:
4. www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/population-estimates/index.html.
5. Mid-2009 population estimates for Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and can be found at: www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp17.htm.
6. Published tables include UK, Great Britain and constituent countries for mid-2009 by single year of age and sex. Local Authority and Strategic Health Authority tables by selected and quinary age groups, and broad components of population change are also published for 2009.
7. Net Migration includes all civilian migration flows to and from all countries outside the UK. It is based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). It also includes adjustments for (i) those whose intended length of stay changes such that their migrant status changes; (ii) asylum seekers and their dependents not identified by the IPS; and (iii) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
8. The UN definition of a long-term international migrant is a person who changes their country of usual residence for a period of at least a year, so that the country of destination effectively becomes the country of usual residence.
9. Mid-year population estimates relate to the usually resident population. These estimates include long-term international migrants (people changing their country of usual residence for at least one year). They do not include people who come to or leave the UK for less than a year. These are referred to as short-term migrants. ONS separately publishes estimates of short term migrants. Mid-2008 estimates of short-term migrants for England & Wales were published in February 2010. The short term migration estimates supplement existing population statistics.    10. A package of improvements for mid-year population estimates for England and Wales were introduced as part of a cross government programme to improve migration statistics. The improvements have led to revisions to the mid-2002 to mid-2008 local authority population estimates for England and Wales. These revised estimates were published on 13 May 2010. The improved methods have also been used to calculate the mid-2009 population estimates published today. Population estimates for Scotland and Northern Ireland have remained unaffected. Details of the improvements package can be found at: www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/methodology-and-quality/imps/index.html