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UK population to be highest in Europe by 2050
The UK population will increase to 77million by the middle of the century with France, which has more than double Britain’s land area, in second place with 70million inhabitants. The figures from the Population Reference Bureau also show the world population will hit 7billion next year - just 12 years after it reached 6billion.
In a separate report Forum for the Future state that Britain will struggle to handle 'catastrophic' population growth in future unless urgent action is taken. The predicted increase to 70million by 2029 will put unsustainable pressure on housing, schools and hospitals as well as natural resources such as food and water, experts said. Current trends will see a city the size of Bristol added to the population of the UK every year for the next two decades. Forum for the Future said vast growth would cause huge rises in pollution and waste and called for urgent action to stop numbers reaching the expected highs and causing a fall in quality of life levels. Director Sara Parkin warned the debate about population had been hijacked by 'extremist' groups but was a key environmental issue "Britons deserve a serious debate about population and politicians need to start planning now to achieve a sustainable future,' she said. "By recognising population as a vital element in strategies to achieve low-carbon and satisfying lifestyles, politicians can reclaim the issue from the extremists. Only through good leadership and sensitive long-term planning can we make sure that UK population growth falls short of today's high projections and that we are prepared to cope effectively with any growth that does happen. We'll need to have more attractive and effective family planning services, and we'll also have to get the right infrastructure into the right places. A step change in investment, innovation - and imagination - is essential too so any rise in numbers of people does not mean a rise in CO2 emissions or a fall in quality of life." The report, entitled Growing Pains, called for more zero-carbon homes, better water efficiency, more renewable energy and better public transport. It also called for an 'objective discussion' on immigration to understand its value to UK society and the economy. The report stressed that case "Policy-makers should reclaim immigration from 'extremist' groups and not ignore it because it is controversial".