With a record-breaking 1.2 million people arriving in a single year, the story of UK immigration has been dramatically rewritten by surging numbers of students, healthcare workers, and families from outside the EU.
Key Takeaways
- In the year ending December 2023, long-term immigration to the UK reached 1,218,000 people, the highest on record, primarily driven by non-EU nationals.
- Non-EU long-term immigration to the UK in YE Dec 2023 was 1,100,000, accounting for 90% of total inflows.
- EU long-term immigration to the UK fell to 116,000 in YE Dec 2023, down 34% from YE Dec 2022.
- Long-term emigration from the UK in YE Dec 2023 was 489,000.
- EU nationals emigrating from UK: 271,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- Non-EU emigration: 219,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- Number of Skilled Worker visas granted: 286,382 including dependants in YE Dec 2023.
- Health and Care Worker visas: 163,629 including dependants YE Dec 2023.
- Student visas total: 457,867 main applicants and dependants YE Dec 2023.
- Asylum applications in the UK totalled 84,231 in YE Sep 2024.
- Initial asylum decisions: 25,067 in YE Sep 2024, grant rate 47%.
- Top nationality: Pakistan with 9,786 applications YE Sep 2024.
- Foreign-born population in UK: 10.0 million or 16.8% in 2021 Census.
- Non-UK born in England: 17.4% of population in 2021.
- London foreign-born: 40.6% in 2021 Census.
Record UK immigration is dominated by non-EU nationals arriving for work and study.
Arrival Statistics
- In the year ending December 2023, long-term immigration to the UK reached 1,218,000 people, the highest on record, primarily driven by non-EU nationals.
- Non-EU long-term immigration to the UK in YE Dec 2023 was 1,100,000, accounting for 90% of total inflows.
- EU long-term immigration to the UK fell to 116,000 in YE Dec 2023, down 34% from YE Dec 2022.
- Main reasons for non-EU immigration in YE Dec 2023: study (322,000), work (370,000 including dependants).
- Indian nationals accounted for 250,000 long-term immigrants to the UK in YE Dec 2023, the largest group.
- Nigerian nationals made up 141,000 long-term immigrants to the UK in YE Dec 2023.
- Pakistani nationals contributed 76,000 to UK long-term immigration in YE Dec 2023.
- Chinese nationals numbered 68,000 long-term immigrants to the UK in YE Dec 2023.
- Zimbabwean nationals reached 36,000 long-term immigrants to the UK in YE Dec 2023.
- Long-term immigration from Pakistan increased by 44% to 76,000 in YE Dec 2023 compared to previous year.
- Student visas granted to main applicants rose to 432,225 in YE Jun 2023, up 85% since 2019.
- Dependants on student visas totalled 139,715 in YE Jun 2023, a sharp increase.
- Work visas for main applicants reached 206,888 in YE Jun 2023, dominated by Health and Care worker route.
- Skilled Worker visas issued: 146,150 main applicants in YE Jun 2023.
- Health and Care Worker visas: 118,219 main applicants in YE Jun 2023.
- Long-term immigration estimates for YE Dec 2022 were revised to 1,068,200.
- Net migration for YE Dec 2022 revised to 764,000.
- Non-EU immigration in YE Dec 2022: 1,033,000.
- EU immigration YE Dec 2022: 180,000.
- Indian students: 116,455 visas in YE Dec 2022.
- Nigerian students: 85,405 visas YE Dec 2022.
- Pakistani students: 37,060 visas YE Dec 2022.
- China students: 89,947 visas YE Dec 2022.
- Long-term arrivals from India: 240,000 in YE Dec 2022.
- From Nigeria: 120,000 long-term arrivals YE Dec 2022.
- Total passenger arrivals at UK airports: 137 million in 2023.
- Heathrow passenger arrivals: 40.4 million in 2023.
- Gatwick arrivals: 18.1 million in 2023.
- Manchester arrivals: 14.3 million in 2023.
Arrival Statistics Interpretation
The UK has clearly become the world's postgraduate hub, hospital, and family office, as record non-EU arrivals for study and work have rendered the classic British 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster more of a hopeful suggestion than an instruction.
Asylum Statistics
- Asylum applications in the UK totalled 84,231 in YE Sep 2024.
- Initial asylum decisions: 25,067 in YE Sep 2024, grant rate 47%.
- Top nationality: Pakistan with 9,786 applications YE Sep 2024.
- Afghanistan: 9,400 asylum apps YE Sep 2024.
- Iran: 8,978 asylum applications YE Sep 2024.
- Syria: 5,546 asylum apps YE Sep 2024.
- Eritrea: 4,499 asylum applications YE Sep 2024.
- Albania: 3,049 asylum apps YE Sep 2024, down sharply.
- Bangladesh: 2,860 asylum applications YE Sep 2024.
- India: 2,635 asylum apps YE Sep 2024.
- Small boat arrivals: 36,881 in 2024 up to Sep.
- Small boat asylum claims: 29% of total in recent years.
- Asylum grant rate for Afghans: 98% in YE Sep 2024.
- Syrian grant rate: 97% YE Sep 2024.
- Sudanese grant rate: 85% YE Sep 2024.
- Iranian grant rate: 75% YE Sep 2024.
- Albanian grant rate: 5% YE Sep 2024.
- Asylum backlog: 98,599 cases at end Sep 2024.
- Ukrainians granted asylum: nearly all under Ukraine schemes, 250,000+ since 2022.
- Hong Kong BNO visa holders: 190,000 granted by mid-2024.
Asylum Statistics Interpretation
The UK's asylum system is simultaneously drowning in a backlog, paddling furiously to decide cases with a surprisingly high grant rate, and bracing for the next political storm about boat arrivals, all while quietly offering safe harbor to hundreds of thousands through other, more orderly, routes.
Demographic Impacts
- Foreign-born population in UK: 10.0 million or 16.8% in 2021 Census.
- Non-UK born in England: 17.4% of population in 2021.
- London foreign-born: 40.6% in 2021 Census.
- Top country of birth: India with 920,000 in 2021.
- Poland: 743,000 foreign-born in UK 2021.
- Pakistan: 624,000 in 2021 Census.
- Romania: 539,000 foreign-born UK 2021.
- Ireland: 325,000 in 2021.
- Germany: 270,000 foreign-born 2021.
- Net migration contributed 88% to UK population growth 2001-2021.
- Foreign-born employment rate: 77.4% vs 75.7% UK-born in 2023.
- Foreign-born median hourly pay: £14.27 vs £15.07 UK-born in 2023.
- 28% of NHS staff foreign-born in 2023.
- 18% of social care workforce non-UK born.
- Foreign-born overrepresentation in low-skill jobs: 25% vs 15% UK-born.
- 37% of UK PhD students foreign nationals in 2022/23.
- Foreign-born entrepreneurship: 14% of UK businesses owned by migrants.
- Remittances from UK: £8.2 billion in 2022.
- Housing occupancy: migrant households 10% higher occupancy rate.
- Foreign-born fertility rate: 1.92 vs 1.49 UK-born in 2021.
Demographic Impacts Interpretation
While often framed as a monolithic strain on resources, Britain's 10 million foreign-born residents are the nation's paradoxical lifeblood, simultaneously propping up its public services, boosting its economy, and politely arguing over the remote in a full house.
Departure Statistics
- Long-term emigration from the UK in YE Dec 2023 was 489,000.
- EU nationals emigrating from UK: 271,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- Non-EU emigration: 219,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- British citizens emigrating: 267,000 in YE Dec 2023, highest since 2015.
- Emigration of EU citizens increased by 28% to 271,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- Main destination for British emigrants: Australia with 33,000 in YE Dec 2023.
- USA received 25,000 British emigrants in YE Dec 2023.
- Spain saw 17,000 British long-term emigrants in YE Dec 2023.
- France: 12,000 British emigrants YE Dec 2023.
- Long-term emigration YE Dec 2022 revised to 492,000.
- British emigration YE Dec 2022: 257,000.
- EU emigration YE Dec 2022: 211,000.
- Non-EU emigration YE Dec 2022: 282,000.
- Emigration to Australia: 32,000 British in YE Dec 2022.
- To USA: 24,000 British YE Dec 2022.
- To Spain: 16,000 British YE Dec 2022.
- Return migration of previous immigrants contributed to 40% of emigration in recent years.
- Emigration rates highest for ages 25-34, peaking at 10 per 1,000 in recent data.
- Romanian emigration from UK peaked at 120,000 in YE Jun 2017 post-Brexit vote.
- Polish emigration stabilised at around 40,000 annually post-2016.
Departure Statistics Interpretation
While Brexit may have inspired the EU's largest exodus since Moses, the latest figures reveal Britons are also packing their bags in record numbers, with Australia winning the most popular "get me out of here" prize.
Visa Statistics
- Number of Skilled Worker visas granted: 286,382 including dependants in YE Dec 2023.
- Health and Care Worker visas: 163,629 including dependants YE Dec 2023.
- Student visas total: 457,867 main applicants and dependants YE Dec 2023.
- Skilled Worker visa grants up 46% from YE Dec 2022 to YE Dec 2023.
- India received 49% of all Skilled Worker visas in YE Dec 2023.
- Nigeria 12% of Skilled Worker visas YE Dec 2023.
- Pakistan 8% of Skilled Worker visas YE Dec 2023.
- Zimbabwe 6% of Health and Care visas YE Dec 2023.
- Philippines 25% of Health and Care visas YE Dec 2023.
- India 24% of Health and Care visas YE Dec 2023.
- Student visas from India: 116,455 in YE Jun 2023.
- From China: 89,947 student visas YE Jun 2023.
- Nigeria: 44,351 student visas YE Jun 2023.
- Pakistan: 26,317 student visas YE Jun 2023.
- Dependants on work visas: 72,907 in YE Dec 2023.
- Global Talent visas: 4,288 in YE Dec 2023.
- Seasonal Worker visas: 41,858 YE Dec 2023.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visas: 18,466 YE Dec 2023.
- Family visas: 88,662 including dependants YE Dec 2023.
- Spouse/partner visas: 54,547 YE Dec 2023.
Visa Statistics Interpretation
The UK's immigration story in 2023 was a tale of two vital systems: a healthcare sector being propped up by a global workforce and a university sector increasingly reliant on international fees, while the rest of the economy scrambled for skilled talent under a dramatically tightened points-based regime.