UK Net Migration Statistics — 171,000 Per Year
Net migration to the UK was 171,000 in the year to December 2025, according to provisional ONS figures — the lowest calendar-year figure since 2020, and down from a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
Net migration to the UK was 171,000 in the year to December 2025, according to the ONS — down from 331,000 in 2024 and a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
Study was the largest single reason for long-term immigration from outside the EU in 2025: 294,000 of 627,000 non-EU+ arrivals.
The UK has recorded positive net migration every year since 1993, averaging around 370,000 a year over the decade to 2025.
About These Statistics
Net migration to the UK — the difference between the number of people arriving and the number leaving — was 171,000 in the year to December 2025, according to provisional ONS estimates. That is the lowest calendar-year figure since 2020, and less than a fifth of the peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
Net migration is calculated as long-term international immigration (813,000 in the year to December 2025) minus long-term emigration (642,000). The largest non-EU nationalities arriving in 2025 were Indian (139,000), Pakistani (56,000), Chinese (54,000) and Nigerian (47,000), mostly for study. Separately, the Home Office granted around 410,000 study visas and 253,000 work visas in the year to March 2026 — visa grants include people who stay less than a year, so they are higher than the migration figures.
The increase in net migration since 2021 has been driven primarily by: the expansion of the Graduate Route allowing overseas students to remain and work after completing UK degrees; the Health and Care Worker visa introduced to address NHS and social care staffing gaps; the Ukrainian and Hong Kong humanitarian schemes; and increased asylum seeker arrivals.
The ONS revised its net migration methodology in 2023 to make greater use of administrative data from the Home Office, HMRC and DWP rather than relying solely on the International Passenger Survey. The revised estimates showed considerably higher migration than previously reported, prompting significant political debate.
The government has introduced several measures to reduce net migration including raising salary thresholds for skilled worker visas to £38,700, abolishing the overseas carer route for dependants, increasing the minimum salary for family visas, and restricting the Graduate Route. The impact of these measures on net migration totals will be reflected in subsequent ONS releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
What is the UK net migration figure for 2026?
Net migration to the UK was 171,000 in the year to December 2025, according to provisional ONS figures — down from 331,000 in 2024 and a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023. The government's target is to reduce net migration significantly, though no specific annual figure is set in law.
Where do most UK immigrants come from?
The largest sources of long-term immigration to the UK in 2025 were India (139,000), Pakistan (56,000), China (54,000) and Nigeria (47,000), mostly students. EU net migration has been negative since 2022, with more EU nationals leaving than arriving — net −42,000 in 2025.
What is the UK net migration figure?
Net migration to the UK was 171,000 in the year to December 2025, according to provisional ONS long-term international migration estimates: around 813,000 long-term arrivals minus 642,000 departures. That is down from 331,000 in 2024 and a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
What are the main reasons people migrate to the UK?
Study is now the largest single reason for long-term immigration from outside the EU. In the year to December 2025, of 627,000 non-EU+ arrivals, 294,000 came to study, 146,000 for work, 47,000 for family reasons, 88,000 to claim asylum and 35,000 through humanitarian routes such as the Hong Kong BN(O) scheme, according to the ONS. Work-related arrivals have fallen sharply, from 471,000 in 2023.
How is UK net migration measured?
UK net migration is estimated by the ONS using a combination of data sources including Home Office visa and border data, HMRC records of National Insurance number registrations, DWP data, and the International Passenger Survey. In 2023 the ONS revised its methodology to give greater weight to administrative data, resulting in significantly higher estimates than previously published figures.
Is UK net migration going up or down?
Net migration is falling. It peaked at 944,000 in the year to March 2023, then fell to 331,000 in 2024 and 171,000 in 2025, according to the ONS. The fall follows rule changes in 2024 and 2025, including stopping most students and care workers bringing dependants, raising the Skilled Worker salary threshold and closing the Health and Care route to new overseas care workers.
Where do most UK immigrants come from?
Most long-term immigration to the UK now comes from outside the EU: 627,000 of the 813,000 people who arrived in the year to December 2025, according to the ONS. The largest groups were Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Nigerian nationals. A further 110,000 were British nationals returning to live in the UK.
How many people emigrate from the UK each year?
Around 642,000 people emigrated long-term from the UK in the year to December 2025, according to provisional ONS figures. Of these, 246,000 were British nationals — up from around 150,000–165,000 a year in the 2010s. The remaining 396,000 were EU and non-EU nationals.
What is the difference between net migration and immigration?
Immigration is the number of people arriving to live in the UK for at least a year — 813,000 in the year to December 2025. Emigration is the number leaving for at least a year — 642,000. Net migration is the difference between the two: arrivals minus departures. A net migration figure of 171,000 means the UK population grew by that amount due to international migration alone, before accounting for births and deaths.
How many asylum seekers are there in the UK?
There were approximately 98,000 asylum applications in the UK in 2023, a record high. Around 94,000 people are awaiting an initial decision on their claim. The backlog of unresolved asylum cases peaked at over 175,000 in 2023 before falling as the Home Office accelerated decision-making. Approximately 65% of asylum applications that receive a decision are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection.
UK Net Migration by Year — Historical Data
Year ending December. ONS long-term international migration, current method (estimates start in 2012). 2024 revised, 2025 provisional.
| Period | Arrivals | Departures | Net Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 643,000 | 448,000 | +195,000 |
| 2015 | 797,000 | 494,000 | +303,000 |
| 2018 | 825,000 | 549,000 | +276,000 |
| 2019 | 788,000 | 605,000 | +184,000 |
| 2020 | 662,000 | 569,000 | +93,000 |
| 2021 | 947,000 | 480,000 | +467,000 |
| 2022 | 1,398,000 | 508,000 | +891,000 |
| 2023 | 1,441,000 | 593,000 | +848,000 |
| 2024 (revised) | 1,012,000 | 680,000 | +331,000 |
| 2025 (provisional) | 813,000 | 642,000 | +171,000 |
Source: ONS Long-term international migration, provisional, May 2026. Peak: 944,000 in the year ending March 2023.