Which factors have contributed to faster population growth in recent years?

Okay, let's break down why migration and longer life expectancy are the key drivers of population growth in the UK. Think of population change as a simple equation: births plus immigration minus deaths plus emigration. In recent years, while birth rates have fluctuated, the UK has consistently seen net migration, meaning more people are arriving to live in the UK than are leaving. This directly adds to the overall population count. Simultaneously, advancements in healthcare, improved living standards, and better diets have significantly increased life expectancy. People are simply living longer, which means fewer deaths occur relative to the number of births and immigrants. This combination of more people entering the country and people living longer naturally leads to a faster rate of population growth. While improved weather might be nice, and unemployment benefits are important for social welfare, neither directly impacts the overall population numbers in a measurable way.