By IANS,
London : Britain is set to become the most populous country in the European Union (EU) by 2050, fuelled by nearly 200,000 new migrants every year, the global organisation has said.
Britain’s population was predicted to rise from 61.6 million this year to 72.4 million by 2050, overtaking the current highest Germany which was expected to fall to 70.5 million and France with 67.7 million, IRNA reported Thursday quoting UN estimates.
Last year, the EU’s statistical office Eurostat also forecast that Britain’s population is set to become the largest in Europe by 2060, when it was expected to be 77 million and France in second place with 72 millon, ahead of 71 million in Germany.
The new prediction in the UN’s biennial population forecasts ranks Britain as the third most attractive destination for migrants, after the US and Canada over the next 40 years.
The increase comes despite government attempts to crackdown on immigration by introducing a new Australian-style points-based system and tighter border controls.
Projections have already suggested that Britain is set to become the most densely populated country in Europe, overtaking Belgium and the Netherlands.