5.1 The United Kingdom population is projected to increase from an estimated 60.6 million in 2006, rising above 70 million in 2028 and reaching 71.1 million in 2031.
5.2 Due to differences in demographic patterns, projected trends differ for the four countries of the United Kingdom. While the population of Scotland is projected to rise, peak in 2031 and then slowly decline, the populations of the other three countries in the UK are projected to rise to 2031 and beyond, with the Northern Ireland population projected to peak in the late 2050s and then slowly decline. England and Wales populations are projected to continue rising for the whole projection period. Figure 9 illustrates the projected percentage change in the populations of the four countries from 2006 to 2031.
Figure 9 Comparison of population change for UK countries, 2006-2031