England is Europe's most crowded country

London, Sept.16 : England has become the most crowded nation in Europe, with 395 people per square kilometer.

England has overtaken the population density of Holland, which traditionally has been the most densely populated nation on the continent.

The figures were obtained in a parliamentary answer from the Office of National Statistics, reports The Telegraph.

In 2008, the average number of people per square kilometer in Britain was 253, rising to 395 in England.

Latest figures from Holland show that its population density was 395 a square kilometre in 2002 and 393 in 2005. It is estimated that English population density will rise to 464 people for every square kilometre by 2031.

The population density in England is already almost double the level in Germany and quadruple that in France.

The only country in the European Union with greater crowding is the tiny island of Malta, which only has 400,000 people, most of whom live around the port of Valletta.

Last night MPs campaigning for "balanced migration" said the figures were a milestone in the immigration debate.

"This is a milestone in the immigration debate as immigration accounts for 70 per cent of our population growth. The Government's points-based system places no limit on the number of people who are allowed to settle in the UK. If ever there was a case for balanced migration, it is now," said Frank Field, former Labour Minister, and Nicholas Soames, a Conservative MP.

The campaigners estimate that current immigration into Britain is around 300,000 a year, although not all will stay permanently, they calculate that a balanced migration policy would result in a British population of around 65 - 80 million by 2050.

Beyond Europe, England's population density is among the highest in the world for major countries. England ranks third in density after Bangladesh (1,045 per sq km) and South Korea (498 per sq km).

ANI