The population of England and Wales has grown by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024 – the second-largest increase in over 75 years.

The change was largely fuelled by international migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – accounting for only a small proportion.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up from 61.1 million the year before.

It is the second-largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began.

And it is behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.

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