Demography of the United Kingdom

According to the 2011 census, the total population of the United Kingdom was around 63,182,000.[1] It is the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the 22nd-largest in the world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world at 259 people per square kilometre, due to the particularly high population density in England. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's southeast, which is predominantly urban and suburban, with about 8 million in the capital city of London, the population density of which is just over 5,200 per square kilometre.[2]

The population of the United Kingdom is considered an example of a population which has undergone the 'demographic transition' - that is, the transition from a (typically) pre-industrial population with high birth and mortality rates and only slow population growth, through a stage of falling mortality and faster rates of population growth, to a stage of low birth and mortality rates with, again, lower rates of population growth. This population growth through 'natural change' has been accompanied in the past two decades by growth through net international migration into the UK.[3]

The United Kingdom's assumed high literacy rate (99% at age 15 and above)[4] is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 (Scotland 1872, free 1890[5]) and secondary level in 1900. Parents are obliged to have their children educated from the ages of 5 to 16 (with legislation passed to raise this to 18), and can continue education free of charge in the form of A-Levels, vocational training or apprenticeship to age 18. About 40% of British students go on to post-secondary education (18+). The Church of England and the Church of Scotland function as the national churches in their respective countries, but all the major religions found in the world are represented in the United Kingdom.

The UK's population is predominantly White British. Being located close to continental Europe, the countries that formed the United Kingdom were subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Historically, British people were thought to be descended mainly from the different ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century: pre-Celtic, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman. Although Celtic languages are partially spoken in Scotland, Cornwall, and Northern Ireland, the predominant language overall is English. In North and West Wales, Welsh is widely spoken as a first language, but much less so in the South East of the country, where English is the predominant language.

NASA VIIRS image, indicating population centres of the UK and Ireland

History

During the Industrial Revolution, the life expectancy of children increased dramatically. The proportion of the children born in London who died before the age of five decreased from 74.5 per thousand in 1730–1749 to 31.8 per thousand in 1810–1829.[6] According to Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore, the population of England and Wales, which had remained steady at 6 million from 1700 to 1740, rose dramatically after 1740.

The first Census in 1801 revealed that the population of Great Britain was 10.5 million.[3][7] In 1800 the population of Ireland was between 4.5 and 5.5 million.[8][9]

The 1841 UK Census counted the population of England and Wales to be 15.9 million.[10] Ireland's population was 8.2 million in 1841.[11] The population of Scotland was 2.6 million.

The Great Irish Famine, which began in the 1840s, caused the deaths of one million Irish people, and caused well over a million to emigrate.[12] Mass emigration became entrenched as a result of the famine and the population continued to decline until the mid-20th century.

The population of England had almost doubled from 16.8 million in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901. Ireland’s population decreased rapidly, from 8.2 million in 1841 to less than 4.5 million in 1901.[13]

Population

Map of population density in the UK as at the 2011 census.
Population density (people per km2) by country, 2012.

The estimated population of the United Kingdom in the 2011 census was 63.182 million of whom 31.029m were men and 32.153m women.[14]

Based on the 2011 census the population of England was 53.012m (84% of the UK), Scotland was estimated at 5.295m (8.4%), Wales was 3.063m (4.8%) and Northern Ireland 1.811m (2.9%).

Part Population (2011) Percentage (2011) Area[15] Population density
England 53,012,456 83.9 83.9
 
 130,427 km² 406/km²
Scotland   5,295,000 8.4 8.4
 
   78,772 km²   67/km²
Wales   3,063,456 4.8 4.8
 
   20,778 km² 147/km²
Northern Ireland   1,810,863 2.9 2.9
 
   13,843 km² 130/km²
United Kingdom 63,181,775 100 100
 
 243,820 km² 259/km²

The mid-2014 population estimates show that the UK population was 64.6m. The population of England was 54.3m, which accounts for 84% of the UK population. Followed by Scotland at 5.3m (8% of the UK population), Wales at 3.1m (or 5% of the UK population) and Northern Ireland at 1.8 million (3% of the UK population).[16]

The UK Office for National Statistics' 2012-based National Population Projections [17] indicated that if recent trends continue, the UK's population would increase to 73.3 million people by 2037. This is an average annual growth rate of 0.6% per annum. Projected population growth rates over that period vary for the different parts of the UK. For England it is 0.6% per annum, for Scotland and Wales, 0.3%, and for Northern Ireland 0.4%.

There are 13 urban areas which exceed 500,000 inhabitants, these being centred on London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Bradford, Southampton and Portsmouth, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester, Belfast, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne and Nottingham.[18]

Age structure

The key features of the age distribution profile for the UK population, as measured in the 2011 Census, were summarised in December 2012 by the Office for National Statistics in terms of peaks and wide bands of the pyramid reflecting high numbers of births in previous years particularly for people aged 60–64 born following the Second World War and those aged 40–49, born during the 1960s baby boom. There is a smaller number of children aged five to nine years than ten years ago which is a consequence of low numbers of births at the beginning of the 21st century, and the broadening of the pyramid in the 0–4 years category is due to a higher numbers of births in recent years. At higher ages, females outnumber males, reflecting the higher life expectancy of females. At lower ages there are more males than females, reflecting that there are slightly more boys than girls born each year.[19][20]

The UK Office for National Statistics' 2012-based National Population Projections[17] suggest that the average (median) population age would rise from 39.7 in 2012 to 42.8 in 2037 if current demographic trends continued. More recent estimates for mid-2014 suggest the median age of the UK population was at its highest ever at 40 years.[16]


Population pyramid for the United Kingdom as at the 2011 census.
Age structure for each five year band[21]
Ages attained
(years)		 Population % of total
0–4 3,914,000 6.2
5–9 3,517,000 5.6
10–14 3,670,000 5.8
15–19 3,997,000 6.3
20–24 4,297,000 6.8
25–29 4,307,000 6.8
30–34 4,126,000 6.5
35–39 4,194,000 6.6
40–44 4,626,000 7.3
45–49 4,643,000 7.3
50–54 4,095,000 6.5
55–59 3,614,000 5.7
60–64 3,807,000 6.0
65–69 3,017,000 4.8
70–74 2,463,000 3.9
75–79 2,006,000 3.2
80–84 1,496,000 2.4
85–89 918,000 1.5
90+ 476,000 0.8
Age structure for men and women in 2011[22]
Age group Population %
Male
(million) 		Female
(million)		Total
(million)
0–14 5.681 5.419 11.100 17.6
15–64 20.751 20.953 41.704 66.0
65+ 4.597 5.781 10.37816.4
All ages 31.029 32.153 63.182 100

UK population change over time

Population at census dates[23][24]
United Kingdom Population
at start of period 		Average annual change Average annual births Average annual deaths Average annual natural change Average annual net migration
and other changes 		Population density
at start of period
1901 – 1911 38,237,000 385,000 1,091,000 624,000 467,000 -82,000 156/km²
1911 – 1921 42,082,000 195,000 975,000 689,000 286,000 -92,000 172/km²
1921 – 1931 44,027,000 201,000 824,000 555,000 268,000 -67,000 180/km²
1931 – 1951 46,038,000 213,000 793,000 603,000 190,000  22,000 188/km²
1951 – 1961 50,225,000 258,000 839,000 593,000 246,000  12,000 205/km²
1961 – 1971 52,807,000 312,000 962,000 638,000 324,000 -12,000 216/km²
1971 – 1981 55,928,000 42,000 736,000 666,000 69,000 -27,000 229/km²
1981 – 1991 56,357,000 108,000 757,000 655,000 103,000   5,000 231/km²
1991 – 2001 57,439,000 161,000 731,000 631,000 100,000  61,000 235/km²
2001 – 2011 59,113,000 324,000 722,000 588,000 134,000 191,000 242/km²
2011 – 2021 63,182,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 259/km²

Population density based on a calculated 243,820 km² area of the United Kingdom

Vital statistics since 1960

Average population (in thousands) Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1,000) Crude death rate (per 1,000) Natural change (per 1,000) Fertility rates Population density
1960 52,164 918,286 604,592 313,694 17.5 11.5 6.0 2.71 213/km²
1961 52,589 944,365 635,507 308,858 17.9 12.0 5.9 2.80 215/km²
1962 53,049 975,635 632,951 342,684 18.3 11.9 6.4 2.88 217/km²
1963 53,458 990,160 654,300 335,860 18.5 12.2 6.3 2.91 219/km²
1964 53,807 1,014,672 610,508 404,164 18.8 11.3 7.5 2.95 219/km²
1965 54,170 992,275 627,567 369,708 18.3 11.5 6.8 2.86 222/km²
1966 54,496 979,587 644,193 335,394 17.9 11.8 6.1 2.77 223/km²
1967 54,800 961,700 620,385 341,315 17.5 11.3 6.2 2.68 224/km²
1968 55,086 947,231 652,135 295,099 17.2 11.8 5.4 2.61 225/km²
1969 55,337 920,258 661,509 258,749 16.6 11.9 4.7 2.50 226/km²
1970 55,546 903,907 652,817 251,090 16.2 11.7 4.5 2.43 227/km²
1971 55,780 901,650 644,042 257,608 16.1 11.5 4.6 2.41 228/km²
1972 56,012 833,993 679,211 154,782 14.9 12.1 2.8 2.20 229/km²
1973 56,159 779,545 664,722 114,823 13.9 11.8 2.1 2.04 230/km²
1974 56,229 737,138 666,393 70,745 13.1 11.9 1.2 1.92 230/km²
1975 56,230 697,518 661,803 35,715 12.4 11.8 0.6 1.81 230/km²
1976 56,220 675,526 680,096 -4,570 12.0 12.3 -0.3 1.74 230/km²
1977 56,203 657,038 656,042 996 11.7 11.7 0.0 1.68 230/km²
1978 56,183 686,952 668,747 18,205 12.2 11.9 0.3 1.75 230/km²
1979 56,209 734,572 672,641 61,931 13.1 12.0 1.1 1.86 230/km²
1980 56,284 753,708 659,862 93,846 13.4 11.7 1.7 1.89 230/km²
1981 56,343 730,836 658,524 72,312 13.0 11.7 1.3 1.82 231/km²
1982 56,324 719,155 662,801 56,354 12.8 11.8 1.0 1.78 231/km²
1983 56,301 721,467 659,101 62,366 12.8 11.7 1.1 1.77 230/km²
1984 56,362 729,617 644,918 84,699 12.9 11.4 1.5 1.76 231/km²
1985 56,481 750,728 670,656 80,072 13.2 11.8 1.4 1.79 231/km²
1986 56,618 754,982 660,465 94,517 13.3 11.6 1.7 1.78 232/km²
1987 56,743 775,617 644,342 131,275 13.6 11.3 2.3 1.81 232/km²
1988 56,860 787,556 649,185 138,371 13.8 11.4 2.4 1.82 233/km²
1989 56,996 777,825 657,733 119,552 13.6 11.5 2.1 1.79 233/km²
1990 57,156 798,612 641,799 156,813 13.9 11.2 2.7 1.83 233/km²
1991 57,338 792,506 646,181 146,325 13.7 11.3 2.5 1.82 234/km²
1992 57,511 780,799 634,288 146,561 13.5 11.0 2.6 1.79 235/km²
1993 57,649 761,526 657,852 103,674 13.1 11.4 1.8 1.76 236/km²
1994 57,788 750,480 627,637 122,843 12.9 10.9 2.2 1.74 237/km²
1995 57,943 731,882 645,493 86,389 12.5 11.1 1.5 1.71 237/km²
1996 58,094 733,163 636,024 97,139 12.6 10.9 1.7 1.73 238/km²
1997 58,239 726,622 629,746 96,876 12.5 10.8 1.7 1.73 238/km²
1998 58,394 716,889 629,172 87,717 12.3 10.8 1.8 1.71 239/km²
1999 58,579 699,979 632,062 67,917 11.9 10.8 1.1 1.68 240/km²
2000 58,785 679,029 608,366 70,663 11.5 10.3 1.2 1.64 241/km²
2001 58,999 669,123 602,268 66,855 11.3 10.2 1.1 1.63 241/km²
2002 59,217 668,777 606,214 62,563 11.3 10.2 1.5 1.64 242/km²
2003 59,437 695,549 611,185 84,364 11.7 10.3 1.4 1.71 243/km²
2004 59,699 715,996 583,082 132,914 12.0 9.8 2.3 1.77 244/km²
2005 60,059 722,549 582,964 139,585 12.0 9.7 2.3 1.78 246/km²
2006 60,409 748,563 572,224 176,339 12.4 9.5 3.0 1.82 247/km²
2007 60,781 772,245 574,687 197,558 12.7 9.5 3.3 1.87 249/km²
2008 61,191 794,383 579,697 214,686 12.9 9.5 3.5 1.96 250/km²
2009 61,595 790,204 559,617 230,587 12.8 9.1 3.7 1.90 252/km²
2010 62,027 807,271 561,666 245,605 13.0 9.0 4.0 1.93 254/km²
2011 63,285 807,776 552,232 255,544 12.8 8.7 4.1 1.91 259/km²
2012 63,705 812,970 569,024 243,946 12.8 8.9 3.9 1.94 261/km²
2013 64,106 778,805 576,458 202,347 12.1 9.0 3.1 1.85 263/km²
2014 64,597 776,400 570,300 206,100 12.0 8.8 3.2 265/km²

Population density based on a calculated 243,820 km² area of the United Kingdom.

Current vital statistics

Source:[25]

Social issues

Fertility

In 2012 the UK's total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.92 children per woman,[26] below the replacement rate, which in the UK is 2.075.[27] In 2001, the TFR was at a record low of 1.63, but it then increased every year until it reached a peak of 1.96 in 2008, before decreasing again.[26] The TFR was considerably higher during the 1960s 'baby boom', peaking at 2.95 children per woman in 1964.[28] In 2012 and 2013, England and Wales's TFR decreased to 1.85.[26][29] In Scotland however TFR is lower: it decreased from 1.75 in 2010 to 1.67 in 2012.[26] Northern Ireland has the highest TFR in the UK, standing at 2.02 in 2010 and 2.03 in 2012.[26]

In 2014, 27% of births were to mothers born outside the UK, a 0.5 point increase since 2013. The 2014 fertility rate was higher for foreign born mothers (2.09) than UK-born mothers (1.76). In the 2010-14 time period, the most common country of births for mothers (excluding the UK) was Poland, Pakistan and India; and Poland and India for fathers. Within the UK, Newham, London had the highest rate of births to non-UK mothers (76.7%) and Torfaen, Wales the lowest (3.2%).[30]

LGBT

There are known difficulties in producing reliable estimates of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population.

The Integrated Household Survey,[31] published by the Office for National Statistics, provides the following estimates for the adult UK population as at 2011:

Other sources provide alternative estimates of the population by sexual orientation.

One British journal published in 2004 estimated that approximately 5% of the British population is gay.[32] A government figure estimated in 2005 that there are 3.6 million gay people in Britain comprising 6 percent of the population.,[33] though a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission [34] described that estimate as 'of questionable validity' when set against available survey estimates.

The Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) estimated in 2009 that "56,000 might potentially be transsexual people".[35] They note that it's very difficult to make a reliable estimate. This would be 0.09% of the population at the time.

It has also been estimated that approximately 0.4% of the UK population are nonbinary.[36]

Country of birth

Below are the 20 largest foreign-born groups in the UK according to 2014 ONS estimates.[37]

Country of birth Estimated population, 2014
India793,000
Poland790,000
Pakistan523,000
Republic of Ireland383,000
Germany301,000
Bangladesh212,000
South Africa201,000
China196,000
United States187,000
Nigeria178,000
Romania170,000
Italy150,000
France147,000
Sri Lanka139,000
Lithuania137,000
Jamaica136,000
Kenya129,000
Philippines128,000
Portugal127,000
Australia126,000
Estimated foreign-born population by country of birth, April 2007 – March 2008. 
Estimated foreign-nationals population by country of nationality, April 2007 – March 2008. 

Ethnicity

Map showing the percentage of the population who are not white according to the 2011 census.

Census estimate for the main ethnic group categories

Ethnic Group 2001[38][39][40][41] 2011[42]
Number % Number %
White 54,153,898 92.12% 55,073,552 87.17%
White: Irish Traveller 63,193 0.10%
Asian or Asian British: Total 2,578,826 4.39% 4,373,339

6.92%

Asian or Asian British: Indian 1,053,411 1.79% 1,451,862

2.30%

Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 747,285 1.27% 1,173,892

1.86%

Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 283,063 0.48% 451,529

0.71%

Asian or Asian British: Chinese[note 1] 247,403 0.42% 433,150

0.69%

Asian or Asian British: Asian Other 247,664 0.42% 861,815

1.36%

Black or Black British[note 2] 1,148,738 1.95% 1,904,684

3.01%

British Mixed 677,117 1.15% 1,250,229

1.98%

Other: Total 230,615 0.39% 580,374

0.92%

Total 58,789,194 100.00% 63,182,178

100.00%

Note:

  1. ↑ In 2001, listed under the "Other ethnic group" heading.
  2. ↑ For the purpose of harmonising results to make them comparable across the UK, the ONS includes individuals in Scotland who classified themselves in the "African" category (29,638 people), which in the Scottish version of the census is separate from "Caribbean or Black" (6,540 people),[43] in this grouping. The ONS note that "the African categories used in Scotland could potentially capture White/Asian/Other African in addition to Black identities".[44]

Religion

This chart shows the proportion of UK citizens responses with regards to their religion at the 2011 census.
Percentage of respondents in the 2011 census in the UK who said they were Christian.

The British Social Attitudes Survey found in 2012 that the non-religious outnumbered Christians (48% vs 46%). Six percent identified as something else. Discrepancies found between surveys may be the result of differences in phrasing, question order, and data collection method.[45]

In a YouGov poll 2011 35% of the total respondents were either very or fairly religious vs 63% who were not very religious or not religious at all, with the remaining 2% unsure.

The traditional religion in the United Kingdom is Christianity. In England the established church is the Church of England (Anglican). In Scotland, the Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian Church) is regarded as the 'national church' but there is not an established church.

In Wales there is no established church, with the Church in Wales having been disestablished in 1920. Likewise, in Ireland the Church of Ireland was disestablished in 1871. In Northern Ireland and similarly in parts of Scotland, there is a sectarian divide between Roman Catholic and Protestant communities.

The table below shows data regarding religion for the 2001 and 2011 censuses:

Religion 2001[46][47][48][49] 2011[50][51][52][53]
Number % Number %
Christian42,079,41771.58%37,583,96259.49%
Muslim1,591,1262.71%2,786,6354.41%
Hindu558,8100.95%835,3941.32%
Sikh336,1490.57%432,4290.68%
Jewish266,7400.45%269,5680.43%
Buddhist151,8160.26%261,5840.41%
Other religion178,8370.30%262,7740.42%
No religion 16,221,50925.67%
Religion not stated 4,528,3237.17%
(No religion and Religion not stated)13,626,29923.18%20,749,83232.84%
Total population58,789,194100.00%63,182,178100.00%

These figures represent a decrease of 11% in the number of people identifying themselves as Christian in the 10-year period from 2001 to 2011, and an increase of 52% in the number of people stating that they have no religion.[54]

In the 2011 Census, rather than select one of the specified religions offered on the Census form, many people chose to write in their own religion. Some of these religions were reassigned to one of the main religions offered. In England and Wales, 241,000 people belonged to religious groups which did not fall into any of the main religions.[55] The largest of these were Pagans (57,000) and Spiritualists (39,000). The census also recorded 177,000 people stating their religion as Jedi Knight. These returns were classified as "No religion", along with Atheist, Agnostic, Heathen and those who ticked "Other" but did not write in any religion.

An Office for National Statistics survey of 450,000 Britons in 2010 found that 71% are Christian, 4% are Muslim and 21% have no religious affiliation.[56]

Languages

The United Kingdom's de facto official language is English which is spoken as a first language by 95% of the population. Six regional languages; Scots, Ulster-Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Irish and Scottish Gaelic are protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Abilities in these languages (other than Cornish) for those aged three and above were recorded in the UK census 2011 as follows.[57][58][59]

Ability Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
Welsh Scottish Gaelic Scots Irish Ulster-Scots
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Understands but does not speak, read or write 157,792 5.15% 23,357 0.46% 267,412 5.22% 70,501 4.06% 92,040 5.30%
Speaks, reads and writes 430,717 14.06% 32,191 0.63% 1,225,622 23.95% 71,996 4.15% 17,228 0.99%
Speaks but does not read or write 80,429 2.63% 18,966 0.37% 179,295 3.50% 24,677 1.42% 10,265 0.59%
Speaks and reads but does not write 45,524 1.49% 6,218 0.12% 132,709 2.59% 7,414 0.43% 7,801 0.45%
Reads but does not speak or write 44,327 1.45% 4,646 0.09% 107,025 2.09% 5,659 0.33% 11,911 0.69%
Other combination of skills 40,692 1.33% 1,678 0.03% 17,381 0.34% 4,651 0.27% 959 0.06%
No skills 2,263,975 73.90% 5,031,167 98.30% 3,188,779 62.30% 1,550,813 89.35% 1,595,507 91.92%
Total 3,063,456 100.00% 5,118,223 100.00% 5,118,223 100.00% 1,735,711 100.00% 1,735,711 100.00%
Can speak 562,016 18.35% 57,602 1.13% 1,541,693 30.12% 104,943 6.05% 35,404 2.04%
Has some ability 799,481 26.10% 87,056 1.70% 1,929,444 37.70% 184,898 10.65% 140,204 8.08%

Cornish is spoken by around 2,500 people. In the 2011 census 464 respondents aged three and over in Cornwall said that Cornish was their main language, amounting to 0.09% of the total population of Cornwall aged three and over.

Distribution of those who stated they could speak a regional language in the 2011 census.
Welsh 
Scots 
Scottish Gaelic 
Irish 
Ulster-Scots 

After English, Polish was the second most common language given in the United Kingdom census 2011. 618,091 respondents aged three and over said that Polish was their main language, amounting to 1.01% of the total population of the United Kingdom aged three and over.

The French language is spoken in some parts of the Channel Islands although the islands, like the Isle of Man, are not part of the United Kingdom. British Sign Language is also common.

National identity

Respondents to the 2011 UK census gave their national identities as follows.[60][61][62]

National identity United Kingdom Country
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
English only 51.41% 60.38% 2.28% 11.22% 0.60%
Scottish only 5.93% 0.79% 62.43% 0.50% 0.37%
Welsh only 3.26% 0.55% 0.15% 57.51% 0.06%
Northern Irish only 0.81% 0.21% 0.33% 0.14% 20.94%
British only 18.77% 19.19% 8.37% 16.95% 39.89%
English and British only 7.82% 9.09% 1.26% 1.54% 0.27%
Scottish and British only 1.67% 0.15% 18.29% 0.07% 0.09%
Welsh and British only 0.44% 0.11% 0.06% 7.11% 0.02%
Northern Irish and British only 0.22% 0.03% 0.15% 0.02% 6.17%
Other combination of UK identities only (excludes Irish) 0.45% 0.37% 1.01% 1.10% 0.13%
Other identity and at least one UK identity 0.97% 0.90% 1.25% 0.43% 3.05%
Irish only 1.31% 0.64% 0.41% 0.32% 25.26%
Other 6.94% 7.59% 4.01% 3.10% 3.12%
Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Education

University Place, University of Manchester

Each country of the United Kingdom has a separate education system, with power over education matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved.

The Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills are responsible to the UK Parliament for education in England. Depending on the status of state schools control of day-to-day administration and funding may either be the responsibility of the local education authorities or the school's own governing institution. Universal state education in England and Wales was introduced for primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900.[63] Education is mandatory from ages five to sixteen (15 if born in late July or August). The majority of children are educated in state-sector schools, only a small proportion of which select on the grounds of academic ability. Despite a fall in actual numbers, the proportion of children in England attending private schools rose slightly from 7.1% to 7.3% between 2004 and 2007.[64]

Just over half of students at the leading universities of Cambridge and Oxford had attended state schools.[65] State schools which are allowed to select pupils according to intelligence and academic ability can achieve comparable results to the most selective private schools: out of the top ten performing schools in terms of GCSE results in 2006 two were state-run grammar schools. England has 4 Universities ranked amongst the top 10 in the 2011 THES - QS World University Rankings.[66]

Marischal College, University of Aberdeen

In Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible to the Scottish Parliament for education, with day-to-day administration and funding of state schools being the responsibility of Local Authorities. Scotland first legislated for universal provision of education in 1696. The proportion of children in Scotland attending private schools is just over 4% though it has been rising slowly in recent years.[67] Scottish students who attend Scottish universities pay neither tuition fees nor graduate endowment charges as the fees were abolished in 2001 and the graduate endowment scheme was abolished in 2008.[68]

The National Assembly for Wales has responsibility for education in Wales. A significant number of students in Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh and lessons in the language are compulsory for all until the age of 16. There are plans to increase the provision of Welsh-medium schools as part of the policy of having a fully bilingual Wales.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is responsible for education in Northern Ireland though responsibility at a local level is administered by 5 Education and Library Boards covering different geographical areas.

The UK has some of the top universities in the world with Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College ranked amongst the top 10 in the 2014-15 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2011 Census: Population Estimates for the United Kingdom" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "Table 2 2011 Census: Usual resident population and population density, the local authorities in the United Kingdom 17 December 2012". Ons.gov.uk. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  3. 1 2 Focus on People and Migration, ONS, retrieved 4 May 2015
  4. ↑ UK Literacy Rate 2003 [CIA] World Book, Retrieved 17 June 2013
  5. ↑ Education (Scotland) Act 1872
  6. ↑ Mabel C. Buer, Health, Wealth and Population in the Early Days of the Industrial Revolution, London: George Routledge & Sons, 1926, page 30 ISBN 0-415-38218-1
  7. ↑ A portrait of Britain in 2031, The Independent, 24 October 2007
  8. ↑ Statistics | Counting the Emigrants, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
  9. ↑ History and Lessons of Potato Late Blight, University of California
  10. ↑ 1841: A window on Victorian Britain, The Independent
  11. ↑ Irish-Catholic Immigration, The Library of Congress
  12. ↑ Mintz, Steven. "The Irish Potato Famine". Digitalhistory.uh.edu. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  13. ↑ "Ireland – Population Summary". Homepage.tinet.ie. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  14. ↑ Table 1 2011 Census: Usual resident population by five-year age group and sex, United Kingdom and constituent countries, Accessed 20 December 2012
  15. ↑ Geography of the United Kingdom#Area
  16. 1 2 "Population Estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mid-2014 - ONS". ons.gov.uk.
  17. 1 2 National Population Projections, 2012-based, retrieved 10 May 2015
  18. ↑ "2011 Census - Built-up areas". ONS. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  19. ↑ 2011 Census: Population Estimates for the United Kingdom, 27 March 2011, Accessed 21 December 2012
  20. ↑ Structure of Population by Age Bluenomics
  21. ↑ 2011 Census: Usual resident population by five-year age group and sex, local authorities in the United Kingdom, ons.gov.uk Accessed 23 December 2012
  22. ↑ Table 1 2011 Census: Usual resident population by five-year age group and sex, United Kingdom and constituent countries, ons.gov.uk Accessed 20 December 2012
  23. ↑ National Statistics Online Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  24. ↑ UK 2011 Census
  25. ↑ "Vital Statistics: Population and Health Reference Tables, Autumn 2013 update - ONS". ons.gov.uk.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "Vital Statistics: Population and Health Reference Tables (February 2014 Update): Annual Time Series Data". ONS. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  27. ↑
  28. ↑ "Fertility: UK fertility highest since 1980". Office for National Statistics. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  29. ↑ "Large decrease in number of births, ONS figures show". BBC News.
  30. ↑ "Births in England and Wales by Parents’ Country of Birth, 2014". Office for National Statistics. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  31. ↑ http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_280451.pdf
  32. ↑ Full text -The British Journal of Psychiatry - Rcpsych.org retrieved 6 January 2013
  33. ↑ 3.6m people in Britain are gay - official retrieved 6 January 2013
  34. ↑ "Research Report 37 - Estimating the size and composition of the LGBT population in Britain", retrieved 3 May 2015
  35. ↑ Gender variance in the UK: prevalence, incidence, growth and geographic distribution (June 2009) page 13, retrieved 12 May 2013
  36. ↑ How many people in the United Kingdom are nonbinary?, Dec 2014
  37. ↑ "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2014 to December 2014". Office for National Statistics. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Figures given are the central estimates. See the source for 95 per cent confidence intervals.
  38. ↑ "2001 Census KS06 Ethnic group: Key Statistics for local Authorities". Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  39. ↑ "Analysis of Ethnicity in the 2001 Census - Summary Report". Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  40. ↑ "Census 2001 Key Statistics - Urban area summary results for local authorities KS06 Ethnic group". Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  41. ↑ "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service". Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  42. ↑ 2011 Census: KS201UK Ethnic group, local authorities in the United Kingdom ONS, Retrieved 21 October 2013
  43. ↑ "Table KS201SC - Ethnic group: All people" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  44. ↑ "Ethnic group". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  45. ↑ Michael Lipka (April 24, 2014). Cameron’s ‘Christian country': What the numbers say about religion in the United Kingdom (Report). Pew Research.
  46. ↑ "Religion (2001 Census)". data.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  47. ↑ "Summary: Religious Group Demographics". scotland.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  48. ↑ "Census 2001: Religion (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  49. ↑ "Table KS07c: Religion (full list with 10 or more persons)". nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  50. ↑ "2011 Census: KS209EW Religion, local authorities in England and Wales". ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  51. ↑ "Scotland's Census 2011: Table KS209SCa" (PDF). scotlandcensus.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  52. ↑ "Census 2011: Religion: KS211NI (administrative geographies)". nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  53. ↑ "Census 2011: Religion - Full Detail: QS218NI - Northern Ireland". nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  54. ↑ "Summary: What does the Census tell us about religion in 2011? - ONS". ons.gov.uk.
  55. ↑ Census Table QS210EW Religion (detailed), retrieved 4 May 2015.
  56. ↑ Travis, Alan (23 September 2010). "1.5% of Britons say they are gay or bisexual, ONS survey finds". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  57. ↑ "NOMIS - Census 2011". Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  58. ↑ "Scotland's Census 2011 - Standard Outputs". Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  59. ↑ "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service". Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  60. ↑ 2011 Census, England and Wales: National identity (detailed), local authorities in England and Wales, Accessed 2 April 2014
  61. ↑ 2011 Census, Scotland: National identity (detailed), Accessed 2 April 2014
  62. ↑ 2011 Census, Northern Ireland: National Identity - Full Detail, Accessed 2 April 2014
  63. ↑ "United Kingdom". Humana. Retrieved 2006-05-18.
  64. ↑ Private school pupil numbers in decline guardian.co.uk 9 November 2007
  65. ↑ More state pupils in universities BBC News, 19 July 2007
  66. ↑ "QS World University Rankings - 2011". Top Universities. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  67. ↑ in private school intake BBC News 17 April 2007
  68. ↑ MSPs vote to scrap endowment fee BBC News, 28 February 2008

Bibliography

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