Rural North hit by ‘significant’ population decline

The findings are documented in a series of maps demonstrating the changing trends of the world’s population, created by researchers at Sheffield University.

The maps, produced by Dr Benjamin Hennig and Professor Danny Dorling, illustrate global population shifts between 1990 and 2015.

They demonstrate where population is growing and declining, as well as growth patterns within individual countries.

Dr Hennig said: “It is important to reflect on the global population development beyond the issue of mere growth and the national-level trends, but to look at the diverse patterns that happen within countries.

“These tell us so much more than the current focus on either growth or decline within a country and reveal more complex patterns of changing populations.”

In the UK, the maps reveal that the South is getting the majority of growth, while the North and Scotland are seeing “significant decline rates” that stand in contrast to the overall growing population.

Worldwide, Europe will continue to lose large shares of its population while the population of Africa rises.