THE population of Brighton and Hove will increase by 17,100 by 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In 2016 the population was 287,200. By 2026 it is expected to reach 304,300, a rise of 6 per cent.

Every two years the ONS estimates how the population of England will change over the next 25 years.

Statisticians study birth and death rates, and look at how the area’s population is ageing.

In Brighton and Hove the percentage of the population made up by pensioners is expected to rise from 13.4 per cent in 2016 to 14.4 per cent 10 years later.

And by 2036 the ONS thinks over 65s will make up almost a fifth of the area’s residents.

People are living longer due to improvements in healthcare and technology, however this puts greater pressure on the NHS and social care.

And the ONS predicts that the population of Brighton and Hove will hit 327,300 by 2041.