Historic Projections Database Now Complete

The online database of past national projections has been extended and now goes back to 1954, the year in which the Government Actuary's Department first became responsible for the official UK projections. The historic database is now complete.

All national projections since the 1998-based set were made available online on the GAD website at the time of their publication. In January 2006, the database of past national projections was extended back to the 1971-based set. Now, in October 2006, the database has been further extended in limited format back to the 1954-based set of projections.

The database provides available information from the first (1954-based) official projection made by GAD and every second projection from the 1955-based set to the 1979-based set, after which projections were produced every other year. The historic database therefore includes the projections made at two yearly intervals from the 1971-based set to the 1991-based set, followed by the 1992-based and all subsequent sets.

For all projections from the 1971-based set to the 1996-based set, the database gives projected populations for the UK and four constituent countries by five year age group as well as components of change and summary indicators such as total fertility rates and (period) life expectancy. From 1998 onwards projections at Great Britain and England & Wales (combined) level are also included. The 2000-based and later sets include more detailed results which are not available for earlier projections, and also variant projections in addition to the principal (central) projections.

Prior to 1971 the database provides more limited information. Only the United Kingdom and England & Wales (combined) results are available for these projections, except for 1954-based where only UK data is available. Projected populations by five-year age group are given on the database by the 'Components of change and summary indicators' tables are not available.

More detailed information on the background and contents of the database can be found at the historic projections database background information page and the actual data at the historic projections database page.