UK population to hit 70 million in less than a decade

Country to become Europe's most populous nation by 2050 but Brexit could change projections, says ONS

The UK's population will pass 70 million in less than a decade, according to official projections, as demographers say the number of people living in the country is increasing "steadily" due to a combination of natural growth, ageing and the indirect impact of the expansion of the European Union.

Natural growth - more births than deaths - and net migration helped push the estimated UK population to a record 65.1 million in 2015, a rise of more than half a million on the previous year.