In 2017, the population of the UK amounted to 66 million people, according to the Office for National Statistics. 84.3% live in England, 8.2% in Scotland, 5% in Wales and 3% in Northern Ireland. The most densely populated area is England, with 424 persons per square kilometer, and the least densely populated region is Scotland, with 69 people per square kilometer. Every ten years, a Census of Population is held in order to gather statistics and better plan public funding, including education, health and transport. Between 2001 and 2011, there was a major increase of population in England and Wales, of 3 million people (7%). The most populated English regions are the South East and London, where almost two thirds of the total population lives.
The British population age groups are as follows: 17% aged 0-14, 66% aged 15-64 and 17% aged 65 or more.
London is the capital city and the most populated region (about 9 million inhabitants according to the Office for National Statistics), and the most populated cities are Manchester (2.7 million), Birmingham (2.6 million), Leeds (1.9 million). Wealthy people tend to live in the suburbs, whereas poorer people live in the inner city. London has a very diverse population, with about 37% of Londoners born in a foreign country (India, Poland and Pakistan being the more represented).
Even though the general population has increased over the course of the 20th century, the British society is globally ageing. The total fertility rate (number of live births for 1,000 women) reached a peak in 1964 but has been decreasing ever since. Today, the fertility rate is 1.75 for women born in the UK, and 2.06 for women born outside the UK.
Life expectancy is now 82.9 years for women and 79.2 years for men. The lowest life expectancy is in Glasgow and the highest in the City of London.
Millions of people living in the UK come from overseas colonies and their descendants. Immigration peaked in 1950 when there were many unskilled jobs to take. Immigrants mostly came from the Caribbean, East and West Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
