COVID-19 has claimed more than 127,000 lives in Britain, the highest total in Europe - though most of those were recorded after the mid-point of last year. It also appears to have led to a sharp fall in immigration to Britain, at least temporarily.

The United Kingdom's population growth rate in the year to mid-2020 dropped to 0.47% from 0.54% in the year to mid-2019, according to provisional data published by the Office for National Statistics on Friday. The ONS described the growth estimate as "marking one of the smallest increases seen in the context of historical trends".

Annual population growth in Britain exceeded 0.8% in 2011 and 2016, reflecting high levels of net migration, especially from eastern and southern Europe. Britain introduced tougher immigration rules at the start of this year, following its departure from the European Union, aimed at reducing the number of lower-skilled migrants.

The ONS has been unable to publish its usual immigration data for periods after the start of the COVID pandemic, as they relied on face-to-face surveys at airports. Friday's population data included modelled estimates for net migration between March and June.

The ONS said it would publish a more accurate population estimate for mid-2020 this summer. An initial estimate by the ONS for Britain's population at the end of 2020 ranged between 67.0 million and 67.2 million, depending on the migration assumptions used.