Net migration to the UK has fallen by more than two-thirds to 204,000 in the year to June 2025, the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure represents a 69% drop from 649,000 in the previous year, down from a peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
Just under 900,000 people immigrated to the UK between July 2024 and June 2025, a decrease of more than 400,000 compared with the year before. Meanwhile, 693,000 people emigrated, up by 43,000. The fall in non-EU nationals arriving has driven the decline, while more EU and British nationals have been leaving than arriving. About 70,000 EU nationals and 109,000 British nationals are estimated to have left the UK in the year.
Long-term immigration of asylum seekers stood at 96,000, making up 11% of all immigration, double the share in 2019. Separate Home Office figures show 36,273 asylum seekers were housed in hotels at the end of September, up 13% from June. There were 51,000 illegal arrivals detected in the year to September 2025, with 46,000 (89%) arriving by small boat. The top nationalities were Eritrean, Afghan, Iranian, Sudanese and Somalian.
Madeleine Sumption of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University noted that the decline may not be sustained long term, as negative net migration of EU citizens who arrived before Brexit is a temporary factor. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the fall was significant but further reforms were needed to ensure migrants contribute more than they take. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp attributed the drop to Conservative policies but called for further action.
