How many people live in the United Kingdom right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
70,046,045
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 22 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.84%
- Median age
- 40.2 years
- Children per woman
- 1.53
- Life expectancy
- 81.7 years
- People per km²
- 288
According to UN estimates, about 70.0 million people live in the United Kingdom right now. It ranks 22nd out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Thailand and France, and it is home to one in every 119 people on the planet.
Every day, about 1,900 people are born there and about 1,900 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 364,000 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 1,000 people a day (0.52% a year).
In 1950, about 50.1 million people lived there. Since then, the population has grown by 40%. The UN expects it to peak around 2072, at about 76.1 million, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 75.5 million people (8% more than today), and by 2100 about 74.3 million.
Half of its people are younger than 40 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.53 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 82 years (worldwide, 74). There are 288 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of the United Kingdom in 2026?
- The United Kingdom has about 70.0 million people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 69,931,528.
- How many people are born each day in the United Kingdom?
- About 1,900 a day (678,000 a year). About 1,900 people die each day (678,000 a year).
- Is the population of the United Kingdom growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.52% a year, or about 364,000 people.
- What will the population of the United Kingdom be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 75.5 million, with a peak around 2072 at about 76.1 million.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Germany 83,580,342
- Tanzania 73,204,379
- Thailand 71,536,964
- France 66,775,494
- South Africa 65,670,914
- Italy 58,850,844
More countries in Europe
- Russia 143,283,359
- Germany 83,580,342
- France 66,775,494
- Italy 58,850,844
- Spain 47,835,413
- Ukraine 39,443,524
- Poland 37,796,177
- Romania 18,765,984
- Netherlands 18,477,005
- Belgium 11,779,076
- Sweden 10,713,769
- Czechia 10,520,782
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.