Britain is projected to record more deaths than births in 2026 — the first time in modern history — and that trend is expected to continue every year through at least 2034, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Between 2026 and 2034, the ONS projects 6,396,000 births compared to 6,846,000 deaths. With net migration also slowing sharply, overall population growth will be minimal. The population is expected to peak at 72.5 million in 2054 before declining to 71.4 million by 2074.
Charlie McCurdy, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, called it a “demographic turning point,” warning that slower population growth will shrink the workforce, reduce tax receipts, and add up to £3 billion a year to government borrowing by 2030.
Britain is not alone. Similar demographic crises are accelerating in Japan, France, Poland, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States. Falling birth rates are consistently paired with aging populations — placing immense pressure on healthcare systems, pension funds, and social services already stretched thin.
Decades of policies and cultural messaging that treated children as a burden rather than a gift have compounded the problem at every turn. Britain is now living with the results.