The Office for National Statistics has today released a report giving an overview of the UK population: how it’s changed, why it’s changed and how it’s projected to change in the future.
Sarah Coates, Centre for Ageing and Demography, Office for National Statistics, said:
“In 2018, the UK population reached 66.4 million people and migration remained the main driver to population growth.
“The structure of the UK’s population is changing: people living longer and having fewer children means the age structure is shifting towards later ages. The ways in which people live are also changing with cohabiting families the fastest growing family type and more young adults living with their parents.”
Main points:
- In mid-2018, the population of the UK reached an estimated 66.4 million.
- The UK population’s growth rate in mid-2017 and mid-2018, at 0.6%, was slower than any year since mid-2004.
- Long-term international migration to and from the UK has remained broadly stable since the end of 2016 and has also continued to be the main driver of the UK’s population growth.
- In 50 years’ time, there is projected to be an additional 8.2 million people aged 65 years and over – a population roughly the size of present-day London.
- After decades of improvement to life expectancy, the latest figures show a slowdown in improvement – life expectancy at birth remained at 79.2 years for males and 82.9 years for females in 2015 to 2017.
Why is this relevant to the area of family law? It confirms, again, that the fastest growing family time are those cohabiting – not married. I say the law for cohabiting couples is out of date and not fit for purpose. If you are in one of those family structures, you need agreements and trust deeds to regulate what happens to money and property should you split up – because the law as it stands is not very helpful to you.
It also confirms we are an ageing population. Oh hello, Tricky Pensions On Divorce. Repeat after me, it is not a good idea to ignore pensions when you are divorcing. Equity in a house will not pay the bill at Tescos when you go for your weekly shop. Don’t think you can rely on the low value State Pension. If young, working adults are fewer in number, who is paying into the National Insurance fund to pay for your State Pension?
See? Statistics can be fun.