The growth of the population was one of the most important and most visible changes in English society during the Industrial Revolution. In 1781, for example, the population of England and Wales was 7.5 million people but, by 1851, it had risen to almost 18 million people. This population boom continued throughout the nineteenth century, reaching 32.5 million people by 1901. (See the first reference link).
It was the "rapid economic growth" of the Industrial Revolution which enabled the country to support such a large population. A range of public health initiatives, like better drainage, for example, improved living conditions in England's towns and cities while the rate of infant mortality decreased. Moreover, from the 1850s, living standards increased and food prices fell while the rate of infectious diseases, like typhus, also declined. These factors encouraged a healthier and more fertile population.
For more information, please see the reference link provided.
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