Population increases across the West Midlands as new figures shows how many more people live in our region
There has been a steady rise in population across the West Midlands as new annual figures show which areas have seen the greatest increase.
The new figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reflect the population increase across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest through the number of people migrating to the different location authorities between mid-2023 and mid-2024.
Across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest, the figures showed that the population had increased across the local authority areas by 23,461, a percentage increase of 1.29 per cent, year on year.
The national figures showed that the population of England and Wales was estimated to have jumped by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024, the second largest annual numerical increase in more than 75 years.
Almost all of this rise was due to international migration, with natural change, more births than deaths, accounting for only a small proportion.
There were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up 706,881 from 61.1 million in mid-2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The local authority which had seen the greatest increase between 2023 and 2024 was Wolverhampton, which saw its population increase from 275,601 in 2023 to 281,251, an increase of 5,650 or 2.05 per cent.
The Black Country in general saw the largest increases in population, with Walsall seeing a 4,441, or 1.52 per cent, increase from 291,237 to 295,678, Sandwell seeing a 4,026, or 1.15 per cent, increase from 349,834 to 353,860 and Dudley seeing a 4,026, or 1.09 per cent, increase from 328,353 to 331,930.
In Staffordshire, Lichfield saw the greatest increase of 1,740, or 1.58 per cent, from 110,192 to 111,932, Stafford saw a 1,329, or 0.95 per cent, increase from 140,227 to 141,556, South Staffordshire saw a 1,011, or 0.89 per cent, increase from 113,412 to 114,423 and Cannock Chase saw a 925, or 0.90 per cent, increase from 103,163 104,088.
Finally, in Wyre Forest, there was an increase of 752, or 0.74 per cent, from 103,151 to 103,913.
The ONS said the number of people living in England and Wales has risen annually since mid-1982, with migration contributing most to population growth every year since mid-1999.
Before then, increases were caused mainly by natural change.
The national rise of 706,881 in the 12 months to June 2024 is the second biggest year-on-year numerical jump in population since at least 1949, which is the earliest comparable ONS data.
It is behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
This means the population is estimated to have grown by 1.5 million between June 2022 and June 2024: the largest two-year jump since current records began.
Nigel Henretty of the ONS said: “The population of England and Wales has increased each year since mid-1982.
“The rate of population increase has been higher in recent years, and the rise seen in the year to mid-2024 represents the second largest annual increase in numerical terms in over 75 years.
“Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century.”
