Census shows highest over 65 population in history

The latest census figures were released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), revealing the highest population of over 65-year-olds since records began.

One in six Britons is now over the age of 65, a total of 16.4% of the population. Alongside this increase, the total number of 20 to 29-year-olds rose from 6.6 million in 2001 to 7.6 million in 2011.

The total figure for the UK population increased since the 2001 census by 3.7 million people – from 52.4 million to 56.1 million.

The figure for the number of households in the UK (23.4 million) was only slightly higher than the rise of 7.2% between 1991 and 2001, which was the lowest rate of growth in the past 100 years.

Typically the number of UK households has increased by 8% to 17% between censuses in the past.

Meanwhile, the overall population growth figure of 3.7 million is over 500,000 more than the official estimates which were carried over from the 2001 census.

Furthermore, the rise of 7.1% in the UK population is the largest growth in any decade since the census began back in 1801.

Causes for change

ONS analysts have attributed the growth in the number of residents in their 20s to the increase in migrant workers in the UK.

Meanwhile, the 400,000 increase in the number of children under five-years-old has also been linked to the growth in immigration and increased fertility of British-born women.

Around 55% of the population increase could be explained as the result of the increase in net migration, the ONS said.

The key findings of the ONS census were:

• The population of residents over 90-years-old has soared to 430,000, compared to 340,000 a decade ago
• There was an increase of 406,000 in the number of children under five-years-old compared to 2001
• The UK officially has more women than men: 28.5 million women compared to 27.6 million men
• While there are only 371 people per square kilometre on average throughout the UK, in London the figure stands at more than 5,200
• Every region of the UK saw population growth in the past decade – with the highest rates in London’s Tower Hamlets and Newham, slightly ahead of Manchester
• Despite the overall population growth, the increase in the total number of UK households was 7.5%, the second lowest percentage growth in the past century
• Half of the total population increase was in London, the south east and east of England

The report states that had it not been for the growth in net migration causing an increase in the number of younger citizens, the rise in the median age of UK residents would have been even more significant.

Download the ONS census here.