Immigration surge swells English population

UK: The population of England and Wales swelled between 2001 and 2011 after an influx of 2.9 million people born abroad, while the number of Christians plunged, according to census data published Tuesday. The figures from the March 2011 census paint a picture of a changing population, with more foreign-born residents and fewer people of faith.

The population of England and Wales was 56.1 million, an increase of 3.7 million or seven percent since 2001.

The number of foreign-born residents there rose by 63 percent from 4.6 million in 2001 to 7.5 million a decade later. They now account for 13 percent of the population, up from nine.

White Britons account for 80 percent of the population, at 45.1 million people.

AFP