United Kingdom Population
United Kingdom had an estimated population of 69,487,000 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 22nd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.85% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.30% a year.
United Kingdom at a glance
How United Kingdom's population is changing
United Kingdom's population is roughly stable: +0.30% a year, which works out to about +206,306 people per year, or +565 a day. Births (9.9 per 1,000) and deaths (9.7 per 1,000) alone would give +0.02% a year; net migration adds about 389,911 people a year (+0.56%). Roughly one in every 118 people on Earth lives in United Kingdom.
Population of United Kingdom since 1960
In 1960, United Kingdom had 52,400,000 people. By 2025 that was 69,487,000 — 1.3× larger. The fastest growth came between 2006 and 2016, when the population rose by 8%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 52,400,000 | — |
| 1970 | 55,663,250 | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 56,314,216 | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 57,247,586 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 58,892,514 | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 62,766,365 | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 66,740,000 | +6.3% |
| 2025 | 69,487,000 | +4.1% |
United Kingdom from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put United Kingdom at about 10,750,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 69,551,334 in 2025 (6× 1800) and projects 74,305,411 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2072 at 76,068,380 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 10,750,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 27,254,502 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 41,089,602 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 50,121,020 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 59,057,333 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 69,551,334 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 75,504,685 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 76,045,535 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 74,305,411 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in United Kingdom
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 69,487,000. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 10,416,420 | UN urban centre | 14.99% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Birmingham | 2,631,757 | UN urban centre | 3.79% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Manchester | 2,535,427 | UN urban centre | 3.65% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Liverpool | 1,227,470 | UN urban centre | 1.77% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Leeds | 1,065,607 | UN urban centre | 1.53% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Glasgow | 970,320 | UN urban centre | 1.40% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 760,969 | UN urban centre | 1.10% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Nottingham | 649,610 | UN urban centre | 0.93% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 9 | Bristol | 615,703 | UN urban centre | 0.89% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 10 | Sheffield | 549,695 | UN urban centre | 0.79% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
How United Kingdom compares
United Kingdom has almost the same population as France (68,720,337).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #20 |  Thailand | 71,619,863 | +3% | compare → |
| #21 |  Tanzania | 70,545,865 | +2% | compare → |
| #23 |  France | 68,720,337 | −1% | compare → |
| #24 |  South Africa | 64,747,319 | −7% | compare → |
Compare United Kingdom with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, France, Italy, Spain.
Explore around United Kingdom
Land neighbours (1)
United Kingdom's 1 neighbours together hold 5,484,367 people — 0.1× United Kingdom's population. The most populous is Ireland (5,484,367).
In its region
United Kingdom is the 4th most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 7.5% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring United Kingdom
Cities
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham — all United Kingdom's cities on the map.
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About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.