14+ Informative UK Immigration Statistics for 2023
The immigration flows to the UK have been steady in the past two decades. While the Brexit vote in 2016 introduced a heavy drop in migration from EU countries, the increased non-EU migration has successfully filled this void.
The UK immigration statistics below will provide you with detailed information on how migrants have affected the UK population, its economy, productivity, and much more in the last few years. Read on to also discover data on migrant demographics and other facts you will probably find interesting.
Top 10 UK Immigration Statistics and Facts
The total size of the foreign-born population in the UK reached 9,534,732 in 2021.
9.7% of UK migrants have non-UK nationality.
37% of the people who live in London are migrants.
9.3% of all migrants residing in the UK were born in India.
70% of the migrants living in the UK are aged between 26 and 64.
The median yearly earnings of the foreign population in the United Kingdom is £30,000.
48% of the migrants born in countries that are members of the EU move to the UK for work.
34% of the foreign-born population in the UK are highly skilled workers.
4,249,000 of the migrants currently living in the UK arrived between 2011 and 2021.
There are between 800,000 and 1.2 million undocumented migrants in the United Kingdom.
General Statistics on the Immigrant Population in the UK
The total size of the foreign-born population in the UK reached 9,534,732 in 2021.
According to historical data, the number of migrants residing in the UK has been steadily increasing in the past two decades. In 2004, 5,258,000 migrants were living in the UK, and their share accounted for around 9% of the entire UK population.
Over 17 years, their number has grown by 81.33% and reached 9,534,732, which accounts for a much more significant share of the total UK population of 14.4%.
(Migration Observatory)
9.3% of all migrants residing in the UK were born in India.
According to UK immigration statistics by country of origin, the 896,000 migrants from India account for the largest share of 9.3% of the foreign-born population in the UK. The second largest share of 7.1%, or 682,000 residents, are migrants from Poland, and 4.7%, or 456,000 residents are migrants from Pakistan.
Furthermore, 412,000 migrants are from the Republic of Ireland, 347,000 are from Germany, and 329,000 are from Romania, and they each account for 4.3%, 3.6%, and 3.4% of the foreign-born population in the UK.
(Migration Observatory)
9.7% of UK migrants have non-UK nationality.
UK immigration statistics by country reveal that the largest share of 11.6%, or 696,000, of the residents with non-UK nationality are migrants from Poland. An equal share of 6.2%, or 370,000, of the residents with non-UK nationality are migrants from India and the Republic of Ireland.
Similarly, an equal share of 5.7%, or 342,000, are migrants from Romania and Italy. Finally, 4.5%, or 268,000, of the residents with non-UK nationality are from Portugal, 3.4%, or 206,000, are from Spain, and an equal share of 3%, or 181,000, are from Pakistan and Nigeria.
(Migration Observatory)
37% of the people who live in London are migrants.
Data on immigration to London suggests that more than one in every three Londoners is foreign-born. Moreover, the share of migrants in any other region in the UK isn’t as significant as in the country’s capital.
Namely, migrants account for 14% of the South East and 13% of the East regions’ populations. Additionally, 10% of the populations in Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West region are migrants. In the South West region and Northern Ireland, migrants account for 8%, and in Wales and the North East region, they account for 6% of the total population.
(Migration Observatory)
Demographics of the Migrants in the UK
70% of the migrants living in the UK are aged between 26 and 64.
Only 12% of the foreign-born population in the UK are older than 65, while the share of migrants between 15 and 25 years old is even lower at 10%.
More precisely, 12% of the migrants born in North America are younger than 15, 8% are between 15 and 25, 68% are between 26 and 64, and 12% are older than 65.
According to the latest UK EU immigration statistics, 9% of the migrants born in the EU-14 countries are younger than 15, 10% are between 15 and 25, 64% are between 26 and 64, and 18% are older than 65.
Lastly, 10% of the migrants born in India are younger than 15, 5% are between 15 and 25, 69% are between 26 and 64, and 16% are older than 65.
(Migration Observatory)
35% of the migrant population in the UK lives in London.
More than a third of the entire foreign-born population, or exactly 3,346,000 UK migrants, live in London. UK migration statistics indicate the second largest share of 13%, or 1,286,000 migrants, live in the South East region of the country.
Another 811,000 reside in the East, and 729,000 more live in the North West regions, each accounting for an equal share of 8% of the total migrant population in the UK.
Similarly, Scotland with 523,000, Yorkshire and the Humber with 522,000, and the South West region with 470,000 each account for 5%.
Finally, 188,000 migrants live in Wales, 154,000 in the North East region, and the smallest portion of 142,000 migrants reside in Northern Ireland.
(Migration Observatory)
The median yearly earnings of the foreign population in the UK is £30,000.
In comparison, the UK-born population had a slightly lower annual median income of £28,600. Migrants from North America and India had the highest median yearly earnings of £36,000, followed by those born in the EU-14 countries, whose median was £35,000.
The median for migrants born in all non-EU countries was £31,400, while those born in all EU countries earned a median of £28,400 per year. Migrants born in the EU-8 and EU-2 countries had the lowest median yearly earnings of £25,000 and £24,900.
(Migration Observatory)
Statistics on the Immigrants in the UK Labor Market
90% of the male migrants from the EU-2 and EU-8 countries in the UK are employed.
Data on employment in the UK shows that 83% of foreign-born working-age men are employed, while the portion of UK-born working-age men who are employed is slightly lower at 78%.
Male migrants from the EU-2 and EU-8 have the highest employment rates, followed by male migrants from India, with 87%, and those from North America & Oceania, with 85%.
On the other hand, male migrants from the MENA and Central Asia regions have the lowest employment rate of 69%.
(Migration Observatory)
Only 38% of female migrants from Pakistan and South Asia in the UK are employed.
Statistics on the UK immigrant population in the workforce reveal that women have lower employment rates than men across all groups. In addition to women from Pakistan and South Asia, the employment rate of female migrants from the MENA and Central Asia regions is notably low at 43%.
Unemployment statistics for the UK indicate a similar trend for migrants from India as well. Even though male migrants from India have one the highest employment rates, the employment rate for female migrants from India is only 66%. On the other hand, female migrants born in the EU-8 countries have a significantly higher employment rate at 80%.
(Migration Observatory)
34% of the foreign-born population in the UK are highly skilled workers.
The percentage of foreigners in the UK with educational credentials to qualify for a highly skilled job is slightly higher than UK-born workers, 30% of whom are classified as highly skilled.
Additionally, stats 27% of all migrant workers in the UK are overqualified for the jobs they have, while the share of UK-born residents in such situations is lower at 22%. Finally, stats show that the share of unemployed migrant workers who claimed unemployment benefits in 2020 was 27%, while it was 36% for UK-born workers.
(Migration Observatory)
Interesting Facts About Immigration in the UK
48% of the migrants born in countries that are members of the EU move to the UK for work.
Moving because of family is the second most commonly cited reason EU-born migrants have for moving to the UK, shared by 30%, while just 13% of them moved to the UK for studies.
In contrast, only 23% of migrants born in non-EU countries moved to the UK for work, and moving because of family is their most commonly shared reason, cited by 46% of them. 17% of the non-EU migrants also moved to the UK for studies.
(Migration Observatory)
4,249,000 of the migrants currently living in the UK arrived between 2011 and 2021.
UK immigration statistics by year reveal that 75,000 of the migrants living in the UK today arrived before 1951. Another 234,000 of the migrants currently living in the UK arrived between 1951 and 1960, and 540,000 more in the decade after.
555,000 migrants arrived in the UK between 1971 and 1980, another 580,000 in the next decade, and 1,089,000 in the decade after that.
A large portion of 2,696,000 migrants arrived in the UK between 2001 and 2010, and almost half of all migrants currently living in the UK arrived in the last decade. UK immigration statistics since Brexit show that 680,000 migrants arrived in the UK between 2020 and 2021.
(ONS)
Less than half of all foreign-born residents of the UK live in houses they own.
In contrast to the UK-born residents, 70% of whom own the houses they live in, only 47% of the country’s migrant population live in houses they own. Another 37% live in privately rented accommodation, and 17% reside in social housing accommodation.
Data further reveals that migrants born in India are the most likely to be homeowners, as 62% of them own the house they live in. In comparison, immigration facts show that just 42% of the migrants born in EU countries live in houses they own, while the percentage of those born in non-EU countries is slightly higher at 49%.
(Migration Observatory)
There are between 800,000 and 1.2 million undocumented migrants in the United Kingdom.
While it is impossible to provide a specific number, the latest research estimates the number of undocumented migrants in the United Kingdom to be around a million. According to the latest UK illegal immigration statistics, the largest share of these people, or 82%, entered the country legally with a temporary permit but stayed long after their visas had expired.
Researchers believe that only 15% of these migrants entered the UK illegally or through a clandestine entry. Moreover, it is believed that 86% of the illegal residents have been in the UK for longer than five years, while 66% have even been staying in the country for over a decade.
(JCWI)
The Summary
Overall, migrating to Britain remains a popular choice for people from around the world, though the largest number of migrants move from India, followed by Poland, Ireland, and Romania. Currently, the UK is home to a large number of foreign-born migrants, with 9.5 million living in the country as of 2021.
The effect the migrants have on the British labor market is mainly positive, as it has been the case for most of the UK’s immigration history. Migrants inject a large number of highly skilled workers into the British workforce and are not afraid to work at positions they are overqualified for when they have to.
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