UK population density - rats in a sack.

The UK is the 51st most populace country on earth. It's 242,910 km2 with a population of 64,105,700 meaning a population density per square kilometre of 262 as of July 2013. Given most of the countries above us in the list are small like Malta, the UK is in fact very densely populated.

See here for more details.

In short we are like rats in a sack and have a fast growing population unlike anywhere else in Europe at present. This is partly due to immigration levels and partly due to UK birth rates. It's the place where people want to be. Well the figures show everyone wants to go more specifically to London and the South East.

It all places pressure on transport infrastructure, health, education in fact everything. So long term planning is required and decisions need to be made.

The idea of "England's green and pleasant land" left us a long while ago but we have done pretty well none the less in maintaining a bit of green despite all of us cramming in to a small piece of land.

The UK's popularity has its aforementioned issues but perhaps reflects its virtues too such as being a safe place, low levels of corruption, law and order, advanced economy etc.

A double edged sword.

The Stats - Annual Mid-year Population Estimates, 2013 - From the Office of National Statistics.
• The population of the UK grew to 64.1 million in mid-2013, representing a gain of 400,600 (0.63%) over the previous year mid-2012. This growth is slightly below the average since 2003.
• This means that the UK’s population has increased by around 5 million since 2001, and by more than 10 million since 1964.
• Natural change (births minus deaths) contributed slightly more than net international migration to the population gain in the year. There were 212,100 more births than deaths (53% of the increase) and 183,400 more immigrants arriving than emigrants leaving (46% of the increase).
• The estimated populations of the four constituent countries of the UK in mid-2013 are 53.9 million (growth of 0.70%) in England, 5.3 million (growth of 0.27%) in Scotland, 3.1 million (growth of 0.27%) in Wales and 1.8 million (growth of 0.33%) in Northern Ireland.
• There were 792,400 births and 580,300 deaths in the year ending 30 June 2013. The number of births decreased from the previous year but is still above average for the last decade.
The number of deaths increased from the previous year and is the highest since the year to mid-2005.
• The population of the UK aged 65 and over was 11.1 million (17.4% of the UK population) in mid-2013, up by 290,800 from mid-2012. The number of people in this age group has increased by 17.3% since 2003.
• Growth of the UK population in the year to mid-2013 was higher than the EU average and highest of the four most populous EU member states.