Responding to the ONS population figures released today, CPS Research Director Karl Williams said:
‘Once again, ONS population projections have net migration running at unsustainable levels – 340,000 per annum from 2029 onwards and accounting for the entirety of the population growth. The reality may in fact be even higher given the projections assume net migration will fall from a projected 631,000 in the year ending June 2025 down to 340,000 per annum from 2029, in spite of the fact the government has announced no concrete plans to actually achieve this.
‘The figures also highlight the challenge of Britain’s ageing population, with pensioners the fastest growing age group. Even the massive levels of net migration do very little to improve the long-term picture, with the ratio of pensioners to working age taxpayers growing all the time.
‘As the Centre for Policy Studies has pointed out in ‘Justice for the Young’, the Chancellor needs to focus on making the economy more productive if we are to support an older population without burdening younger workers with even more tax increases. Massive levels of net migration run contrary to this goal – putting pressure on our roads, housing, and public services which only serves to make Britain’s low productivity growth problem even worse.’
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Karl Williams is Research Director at the Centre for Policy Studies.
- Justice for the Young is available to download here.
- Previous CPS reports authored by Karl Williams on immigration:
- For further information and media requests please contact Josh Coupland on 07912 485655 and [email protected].
- The Centre for Policy Studies is one of the oldest and most influential think tanks in Westminster. With a focus on taxation, economic growth, business, welfare, housing and green growth, its goal is to develop policies that widen enterprise, ownership and opportunity.
Date Added: Tuesday 28th January 2025
