Number of children under 5 in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Number of children under 5 was 3.59 million people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.59 million people
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
39th
of 236 countries
All-time high
4.78 million people
in 1967
All-time low
3.38 million people
in 1979
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of children under 5 in United Kingdom, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of children under 5 in United Kingdom is 3.59 million people, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 in United Kingdom peaked at 4.78 million people in 1967 and was at its lowest, 3.38 million people, in 1979.
United Kingdom ranks 39th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Number of children under 5 in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4.33 million people | — |
| 1951 | 4.26 million people | -1.6% |
| 1952 | 4.09 million people | -4.0% |
| 1953 | 3.95 million people | -3.3% |
| 1954 | 3.89 million people | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 3.85 million people | -0.8% |
| 1956 | 3.86 million people | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 3.91 million people | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 3.98 million people | +1.7% |
| 1959 | 4.06 million people | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 4.17 million people | +2.7% |
| 1961 | 4.29 million people | +2.9% |
| 1962 | 4.41 million people | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 4.53 million people | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 4.63 million people | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 4.72 million people | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 4.77 million people | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 4.78 million people | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 4.76 million people | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 4.70 million people | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 4.61 million people | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 4.52 million people | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 4.42 million people | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 4.28 million people | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 4.11 million people | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 3.92 million people | -4.6% |
| 1976 | 3.72 million people | -5.2% |
| 1977 | 3.53 million people | -5.0% |
| 1978 | 3.41 million people | -3.3% |
| 1979 | 3.38 million people | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 3.41 million people | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 3.46 million people | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 3.52 million people | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 3.57 million people | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 3.60 million people | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 3.62 million people | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 3.65 million people | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 3.69 million people | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 3.72 million people | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 3.74 million people | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 3.75 million people | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 3.76 million people | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 3.79 million people | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 3.85 million people | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 3.87 million people | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 3.83 million people | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 3.77 million people | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.71 million people | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 3.66 million people | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 3.62 million people | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 3.57 million people | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.52 million people | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 3.47 million people | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 3.45 million people | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 3.46 million people | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 3.50 million people | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 3.57 million people | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 3.66 million people | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 3.76 million people | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 3.85 million people | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 3.92 million people | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 3.99 million people | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 4.04 million people | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 4.06 million people | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 4.07 million people | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.07 million people | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 4.04 million people | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 4.00 million people | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 3.95 million people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 3.88 million people | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 3.82 million people | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 3.75 million people | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.66 million people | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 3.59 million people | -1.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 3.59 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 127,928 people, 28.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 3.59 million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 308,498 people, 11.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.02 million people | 3.85 million people | 4.33 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.58 million people | 4.17 million people | 4.78 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.99 million people | 3.38 million people | 4.61 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.60 million people | 3.41 million people | 3.74 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.76 million people | 3.62 million people | 3.87 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.58 million people | 3.45 million people | 3.85 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.00 million people | 3.88 million people | 4.07 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.71 million people | 3.59 million people | 3.82 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 in United Kingdom?
- Number of children under 5 in United Kingdom was 3.59 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children under 5 recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 4.78 million people in 1967.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.38 million people in 1979.
- How does United Kingdom rank for number of children under 5?
- United Kingdom ranks 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of children under 5 rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children under 5. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4.