Britain 'to be most crowded nation'

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A Eurostat report published by the European Commission predicts that by 2060 Britain's population will have risen from today's figure of 61.2 million to 76.6 million, making it the most crowded nation of the European Union's 27 member states.

Immigration and birth rates are the main contributory factors to the changes predicted for the UK.

The numbers are almost equal - 7.7 million people are forecast to have migrated to the country by 2060, while a further increase of 7.69 million as a result of births and deaths will raise the population total by 15.4 million.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Projections such as these are proof that we are right to be carrying out the biggest shake-up to the immigration system for a generation.

"Centre-stage is our new Australian-style Points Based System which means only those we need can come here to work or study."

Alasdair Murray, director of think tank CentreForum, said that the figures must be taken as a prediction and not as a certainty.

Germany is predicted the biggest population drop, down 11.4 million to a total of 70.7 million, a drop in birth rates cited as the main factor.

Figures also show that the total population of the EU will rise from 495.4 million in 2008 to 520.7 million in 2035, and will slowly decline to 505.7 million by early 2060.

It is also expected to be made up of older people. People aged 65 years or over are predicted to increase from 84.6 million to 151.5 million and those aged 80 years or over is projected to almost triple from 21.8 million to 61.4 million in 2060.