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UK Peaks 2050s, Deaths Exceed Births, Migration Adds 2.2 M

4/29/2026

39 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A decline in net migration drives the ONS revised UK population outlook.
Office for National Statistics head James Robards says deaths will exceed births from 2026, the population will peak in the 2050s, and net migration will add 2.2 million people from 2024 to 2034.
Scotland will peak at 5.56 million in 2033, decline, while Northern Ireland starts shrinking in 2031 and reaches a dependency ratio 614 per 1,000 workers by 2049.

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Story summary

A decline in net migration drives the ONS revised UK population outlook.
Office for National Statistics head James Robards says deaths will exceed births from 2026, the population will peak in the 2050s, and net migration will add 2.2 million people from 2024 to 2034.
Scotland will peak at 5.56 million in 2033, decline, while Northern Ireland starts shrinking in 2031 and reaches a dependency ratio 614 per 1,000 workers by 2049.