Around the year 1801, what was the approximate population of the United Kingdom?

Okay, let's talk about the population of the UK around 1801. This is a key period because it marks the Act of Union, formally uniting Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom. Now, before the Industrial Revolution really took off and before modern medicine significantly increased life expectancy, populations were much smaller than they are today. Think about it: infant mortality was higher, and diseases spread more easily. While London was already a major city, the vast majority of people lived in rural areas, working in agriculture. So, when we consider the entire UK – England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland – the population was significantly less than many people imagine. Four or five million would be far too low to account for all those regions. Twenty million is way off, as that's closer to a modern estimate for just England's population in the early 19th century. Therefore, the correct answer is approximately 8 million people. This number reflects the pre-industrial, pre-modern medical advancements era of the United Kingdom.