The population of the UK shot up by half a million – 0.8% – in the 12 months of last year. Record levels of immigration were the driving factor, as birth rates and “natural growth” fell. The population of the United Kingdom on the 30th of June 2015 is estimated to be 65,110,000. Official figures from Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the massive 513,000 rise in the number of people living in Britain. The ONS, however, insisted the growth was quite normal and similar to the annual average increase over the last decade. The half a million extra people in the UK was largely the result of a record 335,000 increase in net migration to Britain. An increase in the number of people arriving (up 53,700) and a smaller decrease in those leaving the UK (down 22,300) both contributed to the steep increase in the net migration figure. “Natural growth” – births minus deaths – was at its lowest since 2006, falling to 171,100. The birth rate was down 1,900 and a 52,000 increase in the number of deaths has contributed to this slower “natural growth”. The population is also rapidly ageing. A huge 17.8 per cent of the population is