With over 51 million inhabitants, England is the most populous country of the United Kingdom, accounting for 84% of the combined total.[98] England taken as a unit and measured against international states has the fourth largest population in the European Union and would be the 25th largest country by population in the world.[99] With a density of 395 people per square kilometre, it would be the second most densely populated country in the European Union after Malta.[100] Beyond Europe, England ranks third in population density after Bangladesh and South Korea.[101] The five largest urban areas in England are Greater London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Tyneside.[102] The English people are a British people[3]—genetic evidence suggests that 75–95% descend in the paternal line from prehistoric settlers who originally came from the Iberian Peninsula.[103][104][105] There is a significant Norse element, as well as a 5% contribution from Angles and Saxons,[103] though some scholars place this estimate higher.[106] Recent genetic studies have shown that more than 50% of England's gene pool contains Germanic Y chromosomes.[107] Over time various cultures have been influential—Prehistoric, Brythonic,[108] Roman, Angle, Saxon,[109] Norse Viking,[110] Gaelic cultures, as well as a large influence from Normans. There is an English diaspora in former parts of the British Empire; especially the United States, Canada, Australia, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand.[note 3] Since the late 1990s, English people have migrated to Spain.[115][116]
At the time of the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, more than 90% of the English population of about two million lived in the countryside.[117] By 1801 the population had grown to 8.3 million, and by 1901 had grown to 30.5 million.[118] Industrial and commercial expansion in the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, and growing ease of communications, fuelled migration between all parts of British Isles. Due to the economic prosperity in South East England there are many economic migrants from the other parts of the United Kingdom.[3] There has been significant Irish migration, with 25% of English people having Irish ancestry.[119] The white population totals out at 89.90%, including Germans[119] and Poles.[3] Outside of this people from much further afield in the former British colonies have arrived since the 1950s—5.30% of people living in England have migrated from the Indian subcontinent, mostly India and Pakistan.[3][119] 2.30% of the population are black, mostly from the Caribbean.[3][119] There is a significant number of Chinese and British Chinese.[3][119] As of 2007, 22% of primary school children and 17.7% of children at secondary school in England were from ethnic minority families.[120]
About half of population increase between 1991–2001 was due to foreign-born immigration. During the period 1991–2001 a net 726,000 immigrants arrived in London.[121] Debate over immigration is politically prominent,[122] according to a Home Office poll 80% of people want to cap it.[123] The Office for National Statistics has projected a continuing growth in the population, estimating between the years 2004–2029 a six million figure growth.[124] A projected increase of more than 20% by 2029.
