According to the Office for National Statistics, the population of England and Wales has risen by 3.7 million to 56.1 million over the past ten years. That's not only more people than have ever lived here before, but also the fastest growth over any decade since records began in 1801. The world population over the same period has grown from 6.2 billion to 7 billion, and it will probably reach 10 billion by the end of the century.