United Kingdom - Population

The population of United Kingdom in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 59,251,000, which placed it as number 21 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 16% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 19% of the population under 15 years of age. There

LOCATION: 49°56 ′ to 60°50 ′ N ; 1°45 ′ E to 8°10′ W. BOUNDARY LENGTHS: Total coastline, 12,429 kilometers (7,722 miles), of which Northern Ireland's comprises 375 kilometers (233 miles); Irish Republic, 360 kilometers (225 miles). TERRITORIAL SEA LIMIT: 3 miles.

were 95 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 0.31%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 61,275,000. The overall estimated population density in 2002 was 246 per sq km (637 per sq mi), but in England there were 371 persons per sq km (961 per sq mi), with 4,233 persons per sq km (10,968 per sq mi) in Greater London.

It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 90% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, London, had a population of 7,639,000 in that year. Other major metropolitan areas in England were Birmingham, 2,271,000; Manchester, 2,252,000; Leeds, 1,433,000; and Liverpool, 912,000. Other large English towns include Sheffield, 503,000; Bradford, 451,000; Bristol, 372,000; and Coventry, 295,000. The major cities in Scotland are Glasgow (654,000) and Edinburgh (422,000). Belfast, the major city in Northern Ireland, had a population of 287,500; and Cardiff, in Wales, 277,000. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 0.2%.