UK net migration drops significantly to 171,000
Net migration to the UK has plummeted to its lowest level since Covid at 171,000, according to the latest official figures, reports BritPanorama.
Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals a near-halving of the net inflow within a single year. The total for the 12 months to December 2025 shows that the gap between arrivals and departures has fallen by 48.3 percent.
The numbers are down from 331,000 in the previous year. Net migration is defined as the difference between the number of people moving long-term to the UK and those leaving the country. This sharp decline represents the lowest level of net migration recorded in nearly five years, matching figures not seen since early 2021 during the Covid pandemic when the total stood at 132,000.
The latest figure marks a dramatic retreat from the historic peak of 944,000 recorded in the year to March 2023, after which numbers have steadily declined. In total, 813,000 people immigrated to the UK over the course of 2025.
The continued fall in net migration is being driven by fewer individuals from outside the EU arriving in the UK for work or study, according to the ONS. Emigration has also decreased to its lowest in just over a year, with 650,000 people recorded leaving the UK in June 2024.
This indicates relatively little change in emigration over the past year and a half, while there have been more significant reductions in immigration. More British nationals are estimated to have left the UK in the year to December 2025 (246,000) than moved to the country (110,000), the ONS noted.
A similar trend is observed for nationals from “EU-plus countries” — which includes the 27 members of the EU along with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. More individuals from outside the EU moved to the UK in 2025 (627,000) than left (278,000).
Lastly, the number of asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels stood at a new low of 20,885 at the end of March 2026, representing a decrease of 35 percent year-on-year, according to Home Office figures.
The latest statistical release highlights ongoing shifts in migration trends, emphasizing the intricate dynamics that continue to shape the UK’s demographic landscape amidst a backdrop of changing economic and political conditions.
