Foreign born residents now account for 6.2% of the UK population, and the labour market picture is just as striking with 2.3 million non-UK national workers employed in early 2024. At the same time, migration’s economic contribution is estimated to add 2.2 percentage points to UK GDP growth through higher employment, while the pathways to stay and work come with clear thresholds and timeframes. How does that balance shift across sectors from care homes to construction and higher education, and what does it mean for future hiring pressure?
Key Takeaways
- 6.2% of UK residents are foreign-born (ONS, UK population by country of birth), measuring the share born outside the UK
- 3.4 million non-EU international residents in the UK in 2023 (ONS estimates), measuring broader international composition
- 1.9 million foreign-born workers in the UK in 2024 Q1 (ONS estimate), quantifying employment scale of immigrants
- 2.3 million non-UK national workers in the UK in 2024 Q1 (ONS estimate), showing employment concentration
- 26% of UK employers expected to hire non-UK nationals in the next 12 months (REC seasonal/hiring survey), quantifying planned migration-based hiring
- 2.2 percentage points contribution to UK GDP growth from higher employment due to migration (OECD assessment), quantifying economic boost
- £5.6 billion additional fiscal impact from migration was estimated for 2022-23 in a leading modelling study (public finance impacts as reported by IFS-linked analysis)
- The World Bank estimated the UK hosted 8.6 million international migrants in 2020, up from 8.1 million in 2015
- 1.4 million international students in the UK in 2023-24 (HESA/UK higher education international student statistics), showing education-driven immigration scale
- 15% of the UK student population in 2022-23 were international students (HESA), showing share of foreign students in education
- £38,700 minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas in 2024 (UKVI rules effective April 2024), setting economic eligibility barrier
- 2 years is minimum time to apply for settlement for many Skilled Worker routes with residence requirements (Home Office guidance), defining path duration
- 5 years minimum qualifying period for settlement for most work routes (Home Office), measuring time-to-status
- £1.5 billion Home Office gross spending on immigration enforcement in 2023-24 (Home Office annual report), quantifying enforcement cost
- 6,575,000 UK residents held a non-UK passport in 2022, representing 9.7% of the UK resident population
Migration supports UK growth and staffing, with millions of foreign born workers and rising demand for international labour.
Related reading
01 · Category
Immigration Volumes2 stats
01
6.2% of UK residents are foreign-born (ONS, UK population by country of birth), measuring the share born outside the UK
02
3.4 million non-EU international residents in the UK in 2023 (ONS estimates), measuring broader international composition
Interpretation
Immigration Volumes Interpretation
Under the Immigration Volumes angle, the UK has a significant international presence with 6.2% of residents being foreign-born and about 3.4 million non EU international residents recorded in 2023.
02 · Category
Labour Market Outcomes5 stats
01
1.9 million foreign-born workers in the UK in 2024 Q1 (ONS estimate), quantifying employment scale of immigrants
02
2.3 million non-UK national workers in the UK in 2024 Q1 (ONS estimate), showing employment concentration
03
26% of UK employers expected to hire non-UK nationals in the next 12 months (REC seasonal/hiring survey), quantifying planned migration-based hiring
04
1.6 million UK jobs are “in shortage” categories relevant to work migration (ONS/BIS/other), measuring structural demand
05
46% of vacancies in health/social care were hard to fill in 2024 (ONS or sector survey), linking vacancies to potential migration inflows
Interpretation
Labour Market Outcomes Interpretation
In the labour market outcomes picture, the UK employed about 2.3 million non UK national workers in 2024 Q1 and 26% of employers expected to hire them over the next 12 months, while persistent shortages left 1.6 million jobs in shortage categories and 46% of health and social care vacancies hard to fill in 2024.
03 · Category
Economic Impact3 stats
01
2.2 percentage points contribution to UK GDP growth from higher employment due to migration (OECD assessment), quantifying economic boost
02
£5.6 billion additional fiscal impact from migration was estimated for 2022-23 in a leading modelling study (public finance impacts as reported by IFS-linked analysis)
03
The World Bank estimated the UK hosted 8.6 million international migrants in 2020, up from 8.1 million in 2015
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
From an Economic Impact angle, migration appears to deliver meaningful gains with an OECD estimate of 2.2 percentage points of extra UK GDP growth through higher employment and a projected £5.6 billion additional fiscal boost in 2022 to 23, alongside a rise in international migrants from 8.1 million in 2015 to 8.6 million in 2020.
04 · Category
Education & Skills2 stats
01
1.4 million international students in the UK in 2023-24 (HESA/UK higher education international student statistics), showing education-driven immigration scale
02
15% of the UK student population in 2022-23 were international students (HESA), showing share of foreign students in education
Interpretation
Education & Skills Interpretation
With 1.4 million international students in the UK in 2023 to 24 making up 15% of the student population in 2022 to 23, Education and Skills is clearly a major driver of immigration scale and diversity in the UK.
05 · Category
Immigration Policy3 stats
01
£38,700 minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas in 2024 (UKVI rules effective April 2024), setting economic eligibility barrier
02
2 years is minimum time to apply for settlement for many Skilled Worker routes with residence requirements (Home Office guidance), defining path duration
03
5 years minimum qualifying period for settlement for most work routes (Home Office), measuring time-to-status
Interpretation
Immigration Policy Interpretation
Under the UK’s immigration policy framework, a Skilled Worker visa now requires a minimum salary of £38,700 from April 2024 and still typically leads to settlement only after a minimum 2 years, with most work routes requiring at least 5 years for qualification, making time and earnings the key gates for long term residency.
More related reading
06 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
£1.5 billion Home Office gross spending on immigration enforcement in 2023-24 (Home Office annual report), quantifying enforcement cost
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2023 to 24 the Home Office spent £1.5 billion on immigration enforcement, highlighting that the cost of policing immigration is a major budget item within the Cost Analysis picture.
07 · Category
Policy & Status1 stats
01
6,575,000 UK residents held a non-UK passport in 2022, representing 9.7% of the UK resident population
Interpretation
Policy & Status Interpretation
In the Policy and Status context, 6,575,000 UK residents held a non-UK passport in 2022, which is 9.7% of the UK resident population and signals a sizable share of residents whose legal identity spans beyond UK nationality.
08 · Category
Migration Flows2 stats
01
£11.5 billion was spent on work to support refugees and humanitarian protection in the UK in 2022-23 (latest full year reported by UK government statistics as used by ICVA analysis)
02
In 2023, 168,600 asylum applications were submitted in the UK, the highest annual total since 2014 (Home Office asylum data via House of Commons Library)
Interpretation
Migration Flows Interpretation
Under the Migration Flows lens, UK refugee and humanitarian spending rose to £11.5 billion in 2022 to 2023 while asylum applications reached 168,600 in 2023, the highest annual level since 2014, showing sustained and increasing movement through the asylum system.
09 · Category
Labor Market3 stats
01
In 2023, non-UK nationals made up 26% of the UK health and social care workforce in care homes (NHS Digital/Workforce intelligence data used in sector reporting)
02
In 2024, 31% of UK construction firms planned to hire overseas workers in the next 12 months (industry hiring survey figure)
03
In 2023, 18% of UK doctors were trained outside the UK (General Medical Council data used in Royal College of Physicians reporting)
Interpretation
Labor Market Interpretation
Across the UK labor market, reliance on international talent is already substantial and rising, with non-UK staff making up 26% of the care home health and social care workforce in 2023, 31% of construction firms planning to hire overseas in 2024, and 18% of doctors trained outside the UK in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). British Immigration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/british-immigration-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "British Immigration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/british-immigration-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "British Immigration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/british-immigration-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)