Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the latest estimate of population growth over the most recent five year period in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland and (4) Northern Ireland.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office for National Statistics.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Wigley

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

6 July 2026

Dear Lord Wigley,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what is the latest estimate of population growth over the most recent five year period in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland and (4) Northern Ireland (HL1519).

The most recent available population estimates(1) for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the five-year period between mid-2019 and mid-2024 can be found in table 1 below.

Population estimates are regularly revised to incorporate new data and methods and should not be taken to be accurate to the level of precision provided.

On 29 July 2026, we will be publishing population estimates for England and Wales for mid- 2025. On 14 July 2026 the National Records for Scotland will be publishing population estimates for Scotland for mid-2025. In September/October 2026, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency will publish population estimates for Northern Ireland for mid-2025.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2024

Table 1: Population estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from Mid-2019 to Mid-2024

Source: Population estimates from the ONS, the National Records of Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency