The UK population is set to become the largest in the European Union, according to a report.
It is expected to increase from its current figure of 61 million to almost 77 million in 2060 – a rise of 25%.
This would make it the largest population in the EU, ahead of the projections for France (72 million) and Germany (71 million).
The EU’s statistical office Eurostat also predicts the EU population will be 506m in 2060, up from 495m in 2008.
It is expected to peak at 521m in 2035 but then decline.
The report predicts the average age of the EU population will rise, due to “persistently low fertility and an increasing number of survivors to higher ages”.
