05/08/2010
The British population will grow to such a level that it will be the biggest country in Europe by 2050.
As reported by The Telegraph, official projections predict that there will be more people living in Britain than France or even Germany. The population of Britain is expected to grow by a quarter, from 62.2 million to 77 million in the next 40 years. It will be a population growth that is faster than almost every other European country.
An article published by ICIS Chemical Business explained that population growth presents real business opportunities. More people simply means that there will be more demand for a whole range of services, including more mouths to feed, more appliances to manufacture and more homes to build.
As reported by The Economic Times, this population growth will manifest itself in an ageing population. Low birth rates mean that the number of workers supporting retirees could fall as low as four for every one. This presents a massive opportunity for businesses which market to a senior population.
This could increase the demand for sales finance, which frees up cash tied up in invoices, as businesses compete to grow their cash flow, positioning themselves to expand in line with the population and the increased demand this brings.
The forecasts came from the Population Reference Bureau, an American body which supplies data to governments and institutions around that world.
In contrast, Germany's population is expected to fall by 10 million because of a lack of immigration and lower birth rate than Britain. Europe as a whole will see its population fall by a total of 19 million because of its low birth rate, on average.
India is expected to become the biggest country in the world. Its population will hit 1.75 billion, increasing by the equivalent of the entire population of the European Union.
Laura Nineham