The population of England and Wales increased by 6.3% to 59.6 million in the last decade, census data has shown. It signals a slowdown in population growth over the last 10 years, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The previous census in 2011 showed the number of people living in England and Wales rose by a record 7.1% in a decade. The 2021 survey, carried out on March 21 last year, came against the backdrop of both Brexit – which has seen restrictions on immigration – and the coronavirus pandemic.
The total population across the two nations was 59,597,300, the ONS said – with 56,489,800 in England and 3,107,500 in Wales. More than 20 million households across England and Wales filled in census questionnaires in spring last year, with a record 89% of responses completed online.
