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The UK in the 21st CenturyKey Facts

Key Statistics — The Changing UK

Part of A Changing UK · GCSE GCSE Geography revision

This key facts covers Key Statistics — The Changing UK within A Changing UK for GCSE Geography. Revise A Changing UK in The UK in the 21st Century for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 8 of 15 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 8 of 15

Practice

15 questions

Recall

20 flashcards

📋 Key Statistics — The Changing UK

  • UK population 2024: ~68 million (up from 50 million in 1950)
  • Net migration 2022: 745,000 (ONS all-time record)
  • UK fertility rate 2022: 1.49 children per woman (replacement level = 2.1)
  • Population aged 65+: 18% (2024); projected 25% by 2045
  • London GDP per capita: £55,000+ vs North East ~£20,000
  • Life expectancy gap: Kensington & Chelsea 83.3 years vs Blackpool 74.3 years
  • Consett Steelworks: closed 1980; 3,500 jobs lost in a town of 30,000
  • MediaCityUK: 10,000+ jobs; 250+ companies; £1 billion+ investment since 2011
  • BBC North relocation: 1,500 staff moved from London to Salford 2011
  • London house prices: ~£520,000 average (2024) vs ~£160,000 North East
  • London diversity: ~40% of population born abroad; 300+ languages spoken
  • HS2 Phase 2 (northern legs): cancelled October 2023
  • UK superfast broadband: 97% of premises (2024)

    • Keep building this topic

    Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in A Changing UK. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

    Connectivity: HS2 and the Digital DivideNorth vs South — The Divide in NumbersThe Country That Remade ItselfPopulation Change: Growing, Ageing, and Diversifying

    Practice Questions for A Changing UK

    Which of the following best describes why the UK's population is aging?

    • A. Birth rates are rising rapidly and people are having more children
    • B. People are living longer and birth rates have been declining
    • C. Young migrants are leaving the UK in large numbers
    • D. The NHS has reduced life expectancy through funding cuts
    1 markfoundation

    Define the term 'aging population' and give one consequence for the UK.

    2 marksstandard

    Quick Recall Flashcards

    What is a brownfield site?
    Previously developed land (e.g. a former factory or derelict industrial estate) that can be redeveloped — without using up open countryside.
    What is the green belt?
    Designated land around major UK cities where most development is prohibited, to prevent urban sprawl and preserve countryside.

    15 questions on A Changing UK — practise free

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    Connectivity: HS2 and the Digital Divide

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    North vs South — The Divide in Numbers