UK net migration has dropped to an estimated 171,000 in the 12 months to December 2025, the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This represents a 48% decline compared to the previous year's figure of 331,000.
It is the first time the net migration estimate—the difference between arrivals and departures—has fallen below 200,000 since the COVID-19 outbreak began. In the year to March 2021, net migration stood at 132,000, when travel restrictions were still in place and the post-Brexit immigration system had just been introduced.
The ONS said the continued fall is being driven by fewer people from outside the European Union arriving in the UK for work. An estimated 813,000 people arrived in the UK in 2025, while 642,000 left.
The figures reveal that more British nationals left the country (246,000) than returned (110,000) during the period. Similarly, for nationals from EU-plus countries—the EU 27 plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland—more left (118,000) than arrived (76,000). In contrast, non-EU arrivals (627,000) significantly outnumbered departures (278,000).
Asylum Hotel Numbers at Record Low
Separate Home Office figures published on Thursday show the number of asylum seekers living in hotels fell to a record low of 20,885 by the end of March, a 35% year-on-year decrease. The government has committed to closing all asylum hotels as quickly as possible, aiming to complete this by the end of the current Parliament term, which ends before July 2029. Officials argue the latest figures indicate the plan is on track.
Government Response
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the figures demonstrate his government is “delivering” on its promise to “restore control to our borders.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that “real progress has been made” but added that “there is still work to do.” She stated, “That is why I am introducing a skills-based migration system that rewards contribution and ends Britain’s reliance on cheap overseas workers.”
