Net immigration in the UK has fallen to less than 200,000
Net migration in the UK has fallen below 200,000 for the first time since the Covid pandemic, driven largely by a sharp fall in the number of people arriving for work, according to new official figures.Data from the Office for National Statistics showed estimated net migration was 171,000 in the year to December 2025. This figure measures the difference between people arriving in the UK and those leaving the country.The latest total represents a sharp decline from the revised figure of 331,000 recorded the previous year and is well below the peak of 944,000 seen in 2023.The Office for National Statistics said the biggest reason behind this decline was a 47% drop in the number of non-EU citizens arriving in Britain for work-related reasons.The decline follows tougher immigration rules introduced by the UK Government, including stricter salary requirements for skilled worker visas and the closure of visa routes that previously allowed overseas care workers to enter the country more easily.The figures also showed that fewer international students remained in Britain after completing their studies, further contributing to the decline in overall immigration numbers.
About 813,000 long-term migrants will arrive in the UK during 2025, down 20% compared to the previous year. Of the 627,000 non-EU arrivals, almost half came for study purposes, while about a quarter arrived for work, according to the Office for National Statistics.The statistics agency also reported that net migration among EU citizens remained negative at minus 42,000, a continuation of the trend seen since mid-2022.Meanwhile, net migration of British citizens remained broadly stable at negative 136,000, meaning that more British citizens left the UK than returned during this period.Excluding the pandemic years, when global travel restrictions sharply reduced movement, the latest figure is among the lowest levels of net migration recorded in the UK since 2012.
