Population 'will reach 71m by 2033'

In less than 25 years it will increase by 10 million to more than 71 million in 2033, official figures showed.

That is less than half the time it took to go from 50 to 60 million over the second half of the last century.

It means 425,00 people will be added to the total every year - the equivalent of a city the size of Bristol. Records showed the last time the numbers living in the UK increased at such a rate was the 25 years between 1942 and 1967.

Prior to that similar sized increases had not been seen since the Industrial Revolution. Over the coming quarter century, immigration will add 180,000 to the population every year.

When the impact of their children is added, migrants will account for two-thirds of all growth. Since their last estimates two years ago, the ONS said there had been a small fall of 10,000 in the expected impact of immigration. That means the symbolic 70million mark will be hit a year later than was thought, in 2029.

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas seized on the slowdown as evidence the Government's points-based system was starting to bite. He said "Today's projections show that population growth is starting to slow down, the impacts of the radical reforms we have made to the immigration system over the last two years are working," he said.

"Last year saw a 44% fall in net migration and we expect that fall to be sustained and reflected in future projections. Our new flexible points based system is giving us greater control on those coming to work or study from outside Europe, ensuring that only those that Britain needs can come."

But Guy Goodwin, ONS director of population statistics, denied the slight fall was "significant". On reaching 70 million he said: "We were reaching there in 2028 on the last projections; we are now reaching them in 2029.

"That marginal slowing up is due to taking account of more recent data, but I would not call it a significant slowing up in any way."