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UK population exceeds that of France for first time on record, ONS data shows (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The UK population is projected to reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, up nearly 5 million from 67.6 million in mid-2022, according to figures from the ONS.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Finally the UK is ready press Charles' claim on the French throne!

But seriously, it's interesting that

The driver of the growth over the period was migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – projected to be about zero, according to the ONS.

I suppose we'll be seeing a lot more of this as fertility in Western countries continues to decline. Or maybe not - the article quotes several government officials vehemently opposed to further such growth. My impression is that the USA is better at integrating immigrants than most other Western countries are, but now even the USA is experiencing very strong nativist sentiment. I expect that there will be even stronger opposition in many European countries (where there isn't already). My hypothesis is that the immigration of refugees is one of the main reasons, or perhaps the main reason, for the rise of populist conservatives in both Europe and the USA.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's not like Western countries have a choice, given their declining birth rates. Go the immigrant route, or end up like Japan with a depopulating countryside and inverted age pyramid.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

I mean, that's a choice. Japan chose the "like Japan" option and isn't planning to change that as far as I know.

[–] Timbits 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Hasn’t this basically been the only growth in western countries for decades now? I didn’t know any western or first world country had a positive birth rate.