Net immigration drops by two-thirds as fewer non-EU nationals move to the UK

Net migration to the UK has fallen by more than two-thirds to 204,000 in a single year, the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the latest official data.

- Rajeev Syal

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there was a 69% drop from 649,000 in the number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating in the year to June 2025.

Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 due to a surge of foreign workers who were encouraged to come to the UK by Boris Johnson's government as the country emerged from the Covid pandemic, but has fallen sharply since.

Just under 900,000 people immigrated to the UK between July 2024 and June 2025, down more than 400,000 people on the year before. At the same time, 693,000 people emigrated, a rise of 43,000 on the previous year.

The long-term immigration of asylum seekers was 96,000 in the year ending June 2025, making up 11% of all immigration - double the 5% share in 2019. The fall in non-EU nationals coming to the UK has been driving the sudden fall in net migration. While non-EU nationals are still adding to the UK population, more EU and British nationals have been leaving the UK than arriving.