[stevieboy]

As if we needed another reason to go to NZ.
From a Government statistics article I stumbled across today....as you do !..... :roll:

...The population of the UK is estimated to reach 60 million next month and is still growing, by more than 200,000 a year. UK population has increased by a fifth since 1950. The impacts of this growth are already clear, especially in the relentless pressures for development on our finite supply of land. UK population has grown sixfold since 1800 and 60 per cent since 1900. UK population growth is now spiralling out of control - officially projected to rise by 0.35 per cent a year to reach 65.7 million by 2031 - an increase of 6.1 million. Population growth in the UK has reached near-record levels, yet no political party has a policy aimed at stabilising and reducing today's unsustainable numbers...


Three out of four people believe that Britain is overcrowded (YouGov poll, 4 April 2004).

[GeorgeM]

officially projected to rise by 0.35 per cent a year to reach 65.7 million by 2031 - an increase of 6.1 million.

That's one and a half times the total population currently in NZ!!!

[Gran]

It used to be said before I left England that the population was too large, then it was 50 mil, the land area is 244000 sq km. NZ has 266992 sq. km. between 4mil of us.

[jonSE]

Compulsory sterilisation at the age of 20 for everyone.

I worry about the world my nephews will grow up to inherit.

Attila

[Lukas]

We are as humans, social creatures...fewer people does't mean always a better social life.
Recent emigrates may know what I am talking about ;)

[jonSE]

Lukas

I do not know if your reply was in response to my post. Apologies if it was not.

I would like my Nephews to be able to grow up in a world that is relatively constraint free similar to the one that I grew up in in the '60s '70's and 80's albeit with the benefit of the sustainable techonological advances of the 21st century.

Unfortunately the rapidly increasing population of the world - UK included - mean that it is likely that the world will feel the effects of a shortage of drinking water before the significant economic effects of a shortage of oil.

This will probably happen before I reach retirement age.

Is there much point giving up smoking?

Jon

[Diny]

On radio 2 yesterday morning Ken Bruce announced that the 60 millionth baby had been born on Thursday evening.

Diny

[marcia]

The population of the UK will already be over 60 million - the government have always and will always juggle the figures to suit - it'll have a seasonal adjustment in there somewhere!! :(

[GeorgeM]

...fewer people does't mean always a better social life.

Fewer people may not mean a better social life, but I think that generally overcrowding and the feeling that you're living on top of people leads to social disruption and conflict.

This doesn't mean to say that the conditions for overcrowding does not exist in NZ - much of the country is very empty and the 4M people are crammed into relatively few urban areas, so we're not as spaced out as we may like to think.

We're on the same sort of track as the UK, but thankfully a long way behind. In Chch where they have done subdivisions from original quarter acre sections people will say that the resulting 2 or 3 properties have tiny gardens, but they will still have plots which could be considered reasonably spacious on many UK housing estates. And I know of nowhere in Chch where large numbers of people live in the sort of close proximity which exists in whole areas of victorian terraces in English cities.

[Timbo]

I have beleived the uk pop. to be over 60 mil for years now.
Any way, we all know that there are 1000s if not 100s of 1000s of people living here who simply cannot be counted for one reason or another. Therefore it is obvious to assume that the official figures dont quite tell the whole truth. Its all just numbers anyway. When it comes down to it, it is about perception. If you live in a small village in the sticks with a small population, then you probably dont get the feeling of living on top of each other as you may in a built up urban area.

[cpgrant]

I don't really believe that low population density has much to do with anything. I live in Montana - a large state of 377,000 sq km and with a population of only 918,000 people. That's a population density about 1/6th that of NZ. Thus, according to the above discussion, Montana should be 6 times nicer than NZ? Hmmm.... MT is a beautiful place, and yes, there are not many people, but it's no paradise.

I'm not defending overcrowding... but at the same time, it seems silly to try to base how "nice" a place is based on population density.

[Diny]

I'm not defending overcrowding... but at the same time, it seems silly to try to base how "nice" a place is based on population density.


[/quote]If you live in a small village in the sticks with a small population, then you probably dont get the feeling of living on top of each other as you may in a built up urban area.[quote]

So true :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

Diny

[GeorgeM]

but at the same time, it seems silly to try to base how "nice" a place is based on population density.

I don't think that the relationship is linear. ;)

[Stu]

60 million people? Hell, we have that many SHEEP!!
Geez, that means we'd have to share them out, only one per person, instead of the current 15 each we have now.
That sounds terrible..... what is a batchelor to do in such a competitive marketplace?
Ummm.... perhaps I have said too much.....
:exit
Stu.

[Glenda]

I am also pretty sure the UK's population has been over 60m for a while now. I do wonder whether the government figures show that there are 60m Britons in the UK - those born and those who have gained citizenship. They cannot accurately include of course those just visiting, those on work contracts, those awaiting citizenship status and those illegally in the country ... in effect all those living here with foreign passports. Would not be surprised if there were over 10m of them.

The same could be said for NZ ... I read (somewhere) that each year there can be 2m in the country with foreign passports - visitors mostly but also those awaiting PR and citizenship.

[Lukas]

..statistics are considering the permanent residents...not necessary the citizens. As a general rule ..again don't confuse immigration with the tourism.

[Paul and Linda]

This country does feel crowded. I live in a town not a city, but I still sleep within 2 feet of my neighbour!

I think I once heard a ridiculous number like 5million tourists at any one time in the UK! Another 5 million (if the initial figure is somewhere near correct) for temporary workers etc would not surprise me.

These figures really just explain a bit more to those of us who live centrally and want to go somewhere where the population density is lower, and yes I agree, maybe it gets worse when you get too few people, and the associated noises/traffic is relatively less.

Within 1/2 mile of my house there are houses and garages and every spare bit of land being levelled and 2-3 story luxury flats going up at £120K pounds each. Now that is way worse than my house, not only do you have someone both sides of you but also above and below, no garden, 1 parking space, not even a veranda.

The views of the hills that I had from my house have now been obliterated by flats and the nets will be going back up at the windows shortly.

I think that there is a level of separation that most people need to feel as though they have acceptable privacy. I don't believe that more than 10% (could be a lot lower than this) of the UK population believes that they have the right level of privacy in their own homes.

Basically I feel as though I need space to breathe.

[ErwinT]

I read somewhere 4m inhabitants, 8m tourists a year.

Of course, all 8m are not there simultaneously ;)

[Lukas]

BE SERIOUS...

[ErwinT]

The views of the hills that I had from my house have now been obliterated by flats and the nets will be going back up at the windows shortly.

OTOH, 2 years ago I drove through Auckland with my stepmom who had lived there 20 years ago. She almost didn't stop saying "There didn't use to be houses on that hill! And not on that hill either!" so I guess the views of the hills of Auckland have changed a bit as well...

Luckily with fewer people the change is slower too.

[ErwinT]

BE SERIOUS...

I was... however, the guy I got the data from obviously wasn't.. some googling came up with this:

http://www.trcnz.govt.nz/Surveys/International+Visitor+Arrivals/Data+and+Analysis/Table-Total-Arrivals-by-Purpose-of-Visit-Current-Year-End.htm

So 2m is more like it. Still, that's 50% of the total pop... ;)