UK population to rise to 71.6m and over 85's double

[Pepe n Pilar]

IMMIGRATION MATTERS

UK population to rise to 71.6m and over 85’s double
By Charles Kelly

24 October 2009
This week much of the media was focusing on reports that the UK’s population is set to rise by 425,000 every year until 2033.

New Government figures show numbers soaring from 61.4million today to 71.6million.

Over two-thirds of the increase is likely to be related directly or indirectly to migration to the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The 425,000 annual rise is the equivalent of gaining a city the size of Bristol each year.

Officials warned if immigration and birth rates continue to rise the total could even hit 76.2million.

They forecast it will take just 24 years - from 2005 to 2029 - for the population to rise from 60million to 70million. In contrast it took 57 years - 1948 to 2005 - for numbers to go from 50million to 60million. It is the fastest rate of growth since the 1960s baby boom.

Ageing population

The figures also reveal that ageing Britain will see a seven-fold hike in citizens over the age of 100 - up from 11,000 to 80,000 by 2033.

The over-85’s will more than double from 1.3million to 3.3million, so the need for health care workers and nurses to care for them will increase.

At the moment, for every 10 pensioners there are 32 people of working age. But in 24 years time that will have dropped to just 28 people.

In other words, by 2033 there will be less people paying into the pensions and welfare kitty, but more people drawing from it - commonly known as the ‘pensions time bomb’, which is why all political parties recognise the need to increase the age at which we all start to draw our old aged pensions. Full story…

When you combine an ageing population of people needing care and drawing pensions and benefits, with a fall in people of working age who can care for the elderly as well as pay taxes to fund their care, there is only one real solution: paradoxically, more immigration.

The UK needs immigration, combined with the control mechanism provided by a points-based system, to bring in new blood to both boost the working population and care for the elderly and sick.

[darren-b]

When you combine an ageing population of people needing care and drawing pensions and benefits, with a fall in people of working age who can care for the elderly as well as pay taxes to fund their care, there is only one real solution: paradoxically, more immigration.

The UK needs immigration, combined with the control mechanism provided by a points-based system, to bring in new blood to both boost the working population and care for the elderly and sick.

The UK needs short-term immigration, which the points based system doesn't bring as anyone here on a work visa (or even some student visas) can currently get ILR and hence could retire here which just makes matters worse.

The new system being introduced does help though as only the most skilled get to stay here permanently if they want, the rest can only stay in the UK for a relatively short period of time.

[Pepe n Pilar]

The UK needs short-term immigration, which the points based system doesn't bring as anyone here on a work visa (or even some student visas) can currently get ILR and hence could retire here which just makes matters worse.

The new system being introduced does help though as only the most skilled get to stay here permanently if they want, the rest can only stay in the UK for a relatively short period of time.

Thanks darren-b for your comment. I had a small chat with a Brit bloke and he commented on this as well. He said the new system is using a "strainer" to choose those that are highly qualified or most skilled to stay in this country.
Any comments?
Thanks for the upcoming comments on this..
Cheers!

[KeithD]

We can start with sending all the Welsh and Scottish home

Baaaaa Jimmy

[joebloggs]

The UK needs short-term immigration, which the points based system doesn't bring as anyone here on a work visa (or even some student visas) can currently get ILR and hence could retire here which just makes matters worse.

The new system being introduced does help though as only the most skilled get to stay here permanently if they want, the rest can only stay in the UK for a relatively short period of time.

it could be the end of the following 2 ways of getting ILR soon ..

10 Year legal stay rule - if you had stayed legally in the UK 10yrs or more you could apply for ILR , usually a combination of student visa, post student work visa's , work permit etc)

and the

14 year illegal stay rule - meaning if they managed to stay without lawful authority for 14 years or more they could apply for ILR.

many people manage to stay on a student visa for 6 or 7 yrs (sure they do ) and of course they bring their partner as a dependant who will be working full time for those 6 or 7 yrs, then apply for a PSW visa for 2 years and 1 yr work permit = 10yrs

and many people are hiding, waiting for their 14yrs to be up so they can apply for ILR, this just encourages people to come here and vanish and hide for 14yrs.

[Arthur Little]

2033? ... I'll be pushing 90 by then ... either that, or "6ft under, and kicking up the daisies" ... since I'm already part of the ageing population!

Ah well, it's being so "cheery" that keeps me going!

[JimOttley]

2033? ... I'll be pushing 90 by then ... either that, or "6ft under, and kicking up the daisies" ... since I'm already part of the ageing population!

Ah well, it's being so "cheery" that keeps me going!

If we are unlucky Arthur and the climate starts to deteriorate quicker than expected the pressure on immigration will be even higher :(

Population issues?

One type is called a Malthusian catastrophe, we as a species have always managed to outwit the Malthusian catastrophe that has been following us. We managed to find ways to improve the efficiency of agriculture to accommodate the ever expanding population and we increased exploitation of resources like oil to the point where we could still just accommodate said population.

Problem is that time is running out there are dozens of limits that are now all being pushed at the same time and no obvious technological breakthroughs on the horizon to dig us out of our mess.

Amongst all the other pressures we have demographic issues in the developed nations with a rapidly ageing population and no obvious means of supporting them in the future (10 to 20 years) and at the same time as a Global society we have been on a wealth destroying binge for the last 10 years that has seriously damaged our ability to invest in research into those not obvious technological breakthroughs that we so desperately need right now.

The demographic issue directly relates to the immigration issue and really we need the immigrants on the assumption that other economic forecasts hold true in order to support our ageing population.

I feel seriously privileged to have been born in a country like the UK in a time of wealth, development and prosperity the like of which the world has never seen and saddened that it is unlikely that the majority of humanity will be able to share in that privilege in the future.

Sorry for preaching :(


Jim

[KeithD]

2033? ... I'll be pushing 90 by then ... either that, or "6ft under, and kicking up the daisies"

You'll live till over 100 Arthur ..... you're not getting out of this decimated country that easily