Distribution of the population

Study note

The population of the UK is not spread evenly across its four nations. England is much larger in population than the others and holds by far the biggest share of the people. Roughly five out of every six people in the UK live in England.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland together make up the remaining share, and each has a much smaller population than England. Of these three, Scotland has the largest population and Northern Ireland the smallest, but all are far behind England.

For the test, the key point is simple: England has by far the largest share of the UK's population. If a question asks which nation has the most people, the answer is England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Memory tip: Most people live in England; Scotland, Wales and NI have much smaller shares.