But is this scenario – or other more extreme
projections – likely? Demographic projections,
unlike, for example, economic forecasts, are
mainly static, rather than dynamic calculations.
This means that they rely almost entirely on
3 A Turner, ‘Do we need more immigrants and
babies?’, Centre for Economic Performance public
lecture, LSE, November 28 2007.
extrapolating from the
previous year’s figures.
Any movement up or
down, compounded
over time, can lead
to dramatic revisions.
There is a long track
record of such predictions
proving to
be wildly inaccurate.
For example, projections
of rapid population
growth made in
the early 1970s were
based on expectations
that the baby boom
period would continue
indefinitely. However,
the birth rate dipped
to record lows in the
1980s (while net immigation was negligible or
even negative) – which generated projections
of a static or even falling population.
In the current projections, increased fertility and
rising life expectancy account for around 30
per cent of the expected increase in population.
Fertility rates have risen a little since the
beginning of the decade. However, they are
projected to remain below replacement levels
as they have done since the early 1970s. This
means that without other mitigating factors the
population would eventually begin to decline.
Meanwhile, life expectancy has been rising far
faster than expected. Longevity for men is now
expected to increase from 77 in 2006 to 81 in
2026 and for women from 81 to 84 during the
same period. This compares with projections
from 1991 of 77 for males and 82 for females
in 2031. Both the fertility and life expectancy
projections seem plausible. But it is important to
remember they are simply assumptions, based
on the most recent evidence, and it would be
surprising if these rates continued throughout
the entire period.
The more substantial projected boost to the
population growth rate comes from the sharp
jump in immigration rates. Britain moved from
being a net exporter of people in the 1980s to
a net importer during the 1990s. Immigration
rates jumped especially sharply following the
admission of ten new member-states to the
EU in 2004 and Britain’s decision to maintain
an open door policy for these countries. Since
1997, annual immigration has risen from
320,000 to 574,000.