One in every ten in Britain born overseas

London, Oct 10 (UNI) One in every ten people living in Britain was born overseas, official figures show.

The immigrant population of Britain has increased by almost 1.4 million in five years while the number of Britain- born residents fallen by 500,000, the Office for National Statistics of Britain reveals.

The statistics also marked that the period between 2001 to 2005 has shown a net growth of 1,387,000 foreign-born residents.

The total increase in the population between mid-2002 and mid-2006 was 939,000 - the equivalent of an extra 515 people arriving every day.

This figure did not necessarily represent foreign immigrants because it may have included British-born citizens returning after a period overseas, Daily Mail reported.

But between 2001-2005 around 2,258,000 people migrated, and 871,000 left while 503,000 British-born citizens left the country.

The combination of this total with the 1,387,000 figure resulted in a net rise in the British population of 884,000 in the five years.

It is also noticed that the immigrants have more children - an average of 2.5 per woman, compared to 1.7 for British mothers.

This has led to the first predicted increase in the size of a family living in Britain since the last baby boom in the 1960s.

Separate projections, published by the ONS last month, suggested the pace of change shows no sign of slowing. Over the next decade, migrants will swell the population by almost two million.

''Migration is bringing new wealth but also new worries to Britain.'' The Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said adding that the increase of 1,90,000 per year is very high.

The ONS also reveals that foreign-born women living here are expected to have 2.5 children each as compared to an average of 1.7 each for British-born women.

The result is a rise in the predicted total number of births for the first time in a generation, to 1.84. More than one in four children born here has at least one foreign parent, compared to 15 per cent in the 1970s.

Last year nearly 670,000 babies were born, the highest number since 1993. Birth rates among women who have grown up in Britain remain low, a fact attributed to rising education and career achievement.

However those in their late 30s and 40s are the exception.

They are having more children than before.

UNI