Destination London: Population grows by staggering 100,000 each year

London is rapidly on the way to becoming a megacity with its population rising by 100,000 people each year.

It is estimated that by 2026 the population of London will have topped 10 million – the threshold for a city to become a megacity.

Currently the top three megacities in the world are Tokyo (38.8 million), Shanghai (35.5 million) and Jakarta (31.5 million.)

The UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) says that around 100,000 people from overseas moved to the capital each year between 2011 and 2015, helping increase the population by nearly 5%.

Expensive

However sky-high property and rental prices has led to more than 30,000 children and teenagers leaving the city as their parents move out to less expensive parts of the UK.

They were joined by 33,600 people aged between 30 and 44 who moved out of London each year.

The report described the movement of children as a ‘phenomenon’ adding: “A likely factor is that the parents of these children are leaving the city to find more affordable accommodation for their growing family.

“The cost of property in London is likely to be important as people in this age group may be looking to buy for the first time, and may have children.”

Last year six out of ten (58%) babies born in London were children of mothers who were themselves born abroad.

Status

According to the ONS, Greater London’s population increased by 5.7 per cent, or nearly 500,000 residents, from 8.2 million in mid-2011 to just under 8.7 million in mid-2015.

The report said: “London’s attraction to immigrants no doubt reflects its status as a major employment centre and international hub.

“With its high ethnic minority population it may prove especially attractive to people wishing to join family or others from that cultural background.

Capital

“In addition, for people heading to the UK, London is somewhere they are more likely to have some pre-existing awareness of than other parts of the country – perhaps because of previous visits, but also simply because it has a higher profile as the UK capital.”

London was the only city in Britain to see a drop in numbers of people aged 19-21 after 2011, a result of many students choosing to go to universities elsewhere.

There were also over 90,000 more people of 45 and older who left each year than arrived, many choosing to retire in distant towns or the countryside.

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