Rural migrant workers rise
The number of staff available for rural businesses to use has shot up, with the amount of migrant workers increasing by 200% in three years.
But the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC), which produced the figures, said that the increase from 309,080 to 579,050 people is putting a strain on local services.
The figures are part of the Government body's 2007 State of the Countryside Report, which also revealed that although the rural population is increasing, the number of young people is falling.
There are now 400,000 fewer people aged 15-29 living in the countryside than there were 20 years ago.
