The UK population is projected to rise to 72.5 million by mid-2032 from 67.6 million in mid-2022, driven almost entirely by net migration, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.

The figures pile pressure on the government to tackle migration and pour more funding into the social care system

The UK’s population will rise by about 5mn to 72.5mn in the decade to 2032, driven by more international migration than previously projected and by lower fertility resulting in the same number of births as deaths, according to official data.

The UK population is projected to rise to 72.5 million by mid-2032 from 67.6 million in mid-2022, driven almost entirely by net migration into the country, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.

Birth and death numbers in Britain are roughly equal, but net migration is expected to keep the population growing into the 2030s.