LONDON: The United Kingdom’s population grew by 1 percent in annual terms to 68.3 million as of mid-2023, mainly due to high immigration, official data showed on Tuesday.
Net international migration was the main contributor to population increase for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — which together form the UK — in the year to mid-2023, Britain’s Office for National Statistics said.
The natural change in population, which is the difference between births and deaths, fell by 16,300. Previous projections from the ONS suggested a negative reading would not occur until the mid-2030s.
Britain has seen high immigration in recent years from economic migrants and those who arrive via irregular crossings in small boats — a hot political topic because of stretched public services after years of under-investment.
Record immigration caused the population of England and Wales to rise by 610,000 in mid-2023, the largest annual rise in 75 years. Net migration to Britain in 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, was 329,000.
The population grew faster in England and in Wales, both seeing a 1 percent rise, when compared to Scotland with 0.8 percent growth or Northern Ireland which posted a 0.5 percent increase, the ONS said on Tuesday.
While post-Brexit changes to visas saw a sharp drop in the number of European Union migrants to Britain, new work visa rules led to a surge in immigration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, often to fill health and social care vacancies.
In August some far-right groups took to the streets to protest against migrants, an early challenge to the newly elected Labour government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who scrapped the previous Conservative government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda since taking office in July, has said that his approach to illegal migration would be pragmatic and mark a change from the last leadership.
UK population rises to 68.3 million driven by immigration from Pakistan, other countries
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UK population rises to 68.3 million driven by immigration from Pakistan, other countries
- Britain has seen high immigration in recent years from economic migrants and those who arrive via irregular crossings in boats
- New work visa rules led to a surge in immigration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, often to fill health and social care vacancies
Pakistan, Canada explore deeper trade, mining and agriculture cooperation
- The development comes as Pakistan seeks to boost trade, foreign investment to strengthen its more than $400 billion economy
- Both sides reviewed the evolving global economic landscape, underscored the need for adaptive trade strategies, Islamabad says
KARACHI: Pakistani and Canadian officials have discussed ways to deepen cooperation in trade, mining and agriculture, the Pakistani commerce ministry said on Saturday, with both sides seeking to expand economic ties.
The statement came after Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan’s meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tarik Ali Khan that focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, mining, agriculture, energy and emerging sectors.
Pakistan, which is recovering from a prolonged economic meltdown under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, has sought to boost trade, foreign investment to strengthen its more than $400 billion economy.
“During the meeting, both sides reviewed the evolving global economic landscape and underscored the need for adaptive trade strategies amid shifting supply chains and geopolitical realignments,” the Pakistani commerce ministry said in a statement.
“The federal minister emphasized Pakistan’s intent to diversify partnerships and attract quality foreign investment, particularly in value-adding and export-oriented sectors.”
A major focus of discussions was cooperation in the mining and minerals sector. Pakistan has vast mineral resources, including Reko Diq copper-gold mine, which is one of the world’s largest undeveloped mines.
The Reko Diq project, located in the Balochistan province, is also being developed by Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold in partnership with Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments.
Commerce Minister Khan highlighted Pakistan’s growing interest in developing small and medium-scale mining projects and stressed the importance of modern exploration techniques, surveying expertise and responsible mining governance.
“The Canadian high commissioner noted Canada’s global leadership in mining services and exploration technologies and expressed willingness to support Pakistan through capacity-building initiatives, technical assistance and business-to-business matchmaking,” the commerce ministry said.
“In this context, both sides discussed Pakistan’s participation in the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto, with an emphasis on linking Pakistani miners with reputable Canadian exploration companies and service providers.”
The meeting also covered agricultural cooperation, with particular reference to the recent resumption of Canadian canola exports to Pakistan, according to the statement. The two sides acknowledged the successful arrival of initial shipments and agreed to work closely on addressing regulatory and procedural bottlenecks to ensure smooth and timely imports.
“Discussions further explored potential cooperation in dairy and livestock development, including animal genetics, modern dairy farming technologies and disease-control mechanisms, aimed at enhancing productivity and quality standards in Pakistan,” the commerce ministry added.
“On the energy front, the Canadian High Commissioner raised issues related to Canadian investments in renewable energy projects in Pakistan and stressed the importance of regulatory predictability and timely approvals to sustain investor confidence. Both sides also reviewed progress on the Pakistan–Canada Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and agreed on the need to maintain momentum in negotiations to encourage greater Canadian investment.”
