According to official figures released on Monday, there was a 610,000 increase in the population of England and Wales, bringing the total to 60.9 million in mid-2023. This is the highest annual increase in 75 years.

The gap between births and deaths, or natural population growth, fell to 400, the lowest level since 1978, while net foreign migration increased to 622,000, up from 548,500 the year before. Furthermore, a net 13,800 individuals moved to Scotland or Northern Ireland from England and Wales.

The Office for National Statistics noted that the population increase in England and Wales was the largest since 1948, primarily driven by a post-World War Two baby boom and the return of British military personnel. The UK's population stood at 67.6 million in mid-2022, with data for 2023 yet to be finalized.

Despite the population growth, economic output lagged. Preliminary figures indicated that GDP per head in 2023 was 0.7% lower than the previous year. Net migration to the UK hit a peak of 764,000 in 2022, decreasing by 10% to 685,000 in 2023, yet remaining more than double the 2015 level prior to the Brexit vote.

Reducing immigration was a core objective for many who supported Brexit. The previous Conservative government and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party have both committed to curbing net immigration by reducing economic dependence on foreign workers.

Post-Brexit visa reforms significantly cut the number of EU migrants to the UK. However, new work visa regulations triggered a spike in immigration from India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, notably to fill vacancies in the health and social care sectors. By the end of last year, the government implemented tighter restrictions to prevent low-paid social care workers from bringing dependents.