Overall trend
UK immigration trends show a marked increase in immigration after the UK left the EU followed by a dramatic fall. Immigration peaked in 2023 and has since fallen steeply. Before Brexit, since 1991, immigration had grown steadily but slowly (see Figure 6.3 from the Migration Observatory and Figure 6.4 from ONS).
Please note that the ONS statistics on immigration are subject to uncertainty.
Figure 6.3: Immigration to the UK 1991 – 2025
Looking in more detail at the period 2012 to 2025, key features of the long-term trend (see Figure 6.4) in overall immigration and emigration were:
- from 2012 to 2016, while the UK was an EU member, there was a slow increase in annual net migration with gradually increasing immigration and flat emigration
- net migration peaked at just over 300k in 2016;
- from 2016 to early 2020, as the Withdrawal Agreement was being negotiated, net migration declined slowly because immigration was broadly flat and emigration was increasing;
- in 2020, there was a Covid dip in net migration;
- in 2021, net migration rebounded and then, in 2022 and 2023, immigration increased steeply while emigration stayed flat;
- post-Brexit immigration peaked at just under 1.5 million for the year to June 2023
- net migration peaked at just over 900k;
- in 2024, immigration fell and emigration rose;
- in the year ending December 2025, net migration fell sharply to 171k, as immigration continued to fall to 813k and emigration rose to 642k.
Note that the ONS introduced new methods to assess migration from July 2021 onwards. This means that it’s not possible to compare figures before and after that date, because the methodologies are different. However, the trends within either method remain valid.
The figures for 2024 and 2025 are provisional and may change. For a full table of the annual statistics, please see Table H.1 in Appendix H.
Figure 6.4: Long-term migration 2012 – 2025
Source: ONS, Long-term international immigration, emigration and net migration flows, provisional, 21 May 2026
Public perceptions
Despite the dramatic falls in immigration and net migration during 2024 and 2025, the overwhelming public perception is that net migration is still increasing. Immigration is also currently the top issue concerning British adults according to Ipsos.
A poll conducted in January 2026 for More in Common found 67% of respondents believed net migration was either increasing significantly or slightly. Only 13% believed that net migration was decreasing significantly or slightly.
Source: More in Common, Net migration polling tables, January 2026
EU and non-EU trends
Behind the overall migration trends, there is a marked difference between the EU and non-EU trends (see Figure 6.5):
- EU citizens made up a majority of immigration and net migration before the 2016 EU referendum.
- EU net migration fell steadily after 2016, from its peak of 300k to about zero in 2022:
- there was annual EU net emigration in 2023 of 53k, which rose to 63k in 2024 and 42k in 2025.
- Non-EU net migration steadily rose from 90k in 2016 to a peak of 1.0 million in 2023:
- it then fell to 511k in 2024 and 350k in 2025.
- Since 2012, there was net annual British emigration of 73k, which has been rising to 136k in 2025:
- these emigrants are likely to include foreign-born British citizens.
As the Migration Observatory points out, the sharp rise in post-Brexit net migration followed policy liberalisations by the Conservative government. For example, the government:
- reintroduced a post-study work route – making the UK more attractive to international students;
- opened new humanitarian visa routes for Ukrainians and Hong Kongers;
- made care and senior care workers eligible for work visas.
At the same time:
- UK universities recruited students overseas more actively as their financial situation deteriorated;
- social care providers hired migrant workers to fill vacancies caused by low pay and poor working conditions in a sector with limited funding.
However, net migration fell sharply in 2024, after the Conservative government took steps to reduce immigration, which included:
- visa restrictions on the family members of care workers and most international students;
- closer Home Office scrutiny of applications to sponsor migrant care workers.
Figure 6.5: EU and non-EU net migration 2012 – 2025
Source: ONS, Long-term international immigration, emigration and net migration flows, provisional, 21 May 2026
Reasons for immigration
In the year to March 2026, the Home Office issued 779,000 visas for non-visit reasons. The Home Office also issued 2.2 million visitor visas, which do not appear in the immigration statistics.
The majority (85%) of non-visit visas were for study and work: Figure 6.6 charts the reasons for non-EU migration which follows a pattern similar to overall immigration.
For overall immigration during the year to March 2026:
- 410,000 (53%) for study (including 18,000 dependants)
- 253,000 (32%) for work
- 62,000 (8%) for family reasons
- 44,000 (6%) for humanitarian reasons (safe and legal routes)
In addition, 39,000 (a further 5%) arrived in small boats. Since 2018, 95% of all those crossing either applied for asylum or were named as a dependant on an application.
There were 111,000 Skilled Worker visas granted in the year to March 2026, which was 76% fewer than the peak in the YE December 2023. This fall was due to a decline in Health and Care visas issued (primarily care workers), with visas issued to main applicants in a Caring Personal Service occupation falling from 108,000 to 1,400 over this period.
The key driver in the growth in non-EU visas issued from 2019 to mid-2022 was not Brexit-related but the ‘bespoke humanitarian routes’ for people fleeing Hong Kong and Ukraine.
The continuing fall in visas issued for work in the year to March 2026, was due to various factors, including:
- increase in skill level for skilled-worker applicants
- limiting the ability of care workers and senior care workers to bring dependents
- restrictions to the student visa route, prohibiting bringing dependent family members to the UK
- higher minimum salary thresholds for skilled workers
The Labour Government proposed further restrictions in 2025. For details see ‘Post-Brexit immigration system’. The year for work visas was the year to December 2023.
Figure 6.6: Non-EU immigration by purpose
