UK residents by individual countries of birth and citizenship, broken down by UK country, local authority, unitary authority, metropolitan and London boroughs, and counties. Estimates from the Annual Population Survey.

Estimates for UK immigration, emigration and net migration, year ending June 2012 to year ending December 2024. These are official statistics in development. To access the most up-to-date data for each time period, please use the most recently published dataset.

United Kingdom UK: International Migrant Stock: Total data was reported at 8,543,120.000 Person in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,604,583.000 Person for 2010. United Kingdom UK: International Migrant Stock: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 3,593,106.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,543,120.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 1,661,888.000 Person in 1960. United Kingdom UK: International Migrant Stock: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2012 Revision.; Sum;

In 2020/21 there were approximately 696,000 Polish nationals living in the United Kingdom, the highest non-British population at this time. Indian and Irish were the joint second-largest nationalities at approximately 370,000 people.

In 2024, approximately 948,000 million people migrated to the United Kingdom, while 517,000 people migrated from the UK, resulting in a net migration figure of 431,000. There have consistently been more people migrating to the United Kingdom than leaving it since 1993 when the net migration figure was negative 1,000. Although migration from the European Union has declined since the Brexit vote of 2016, migration from non-EU countries accelerated rapidly from 2021 onwards. In the year to June 2023, 968,000 people from non-EU countries migrated to the UK, compared with 129,000 from EU member states. Immigration and the 2024 election Since late 2022, immigration, along with the economy and healthcare, has consistently been seen by UK voters as one of the top issues facing the country. Despite a pledge to deter irregular migration via small boats, and controversial plans to send asylum applicants to Rwanda while their claims are being processed, Rishi Sunak's Conservative government lost the trust of the public on this issue. On the eve of the last election, 20 percent of Britons thought the Labour Party would be the best party to handle immigration, compared with 13 percent who thought the Conservatives would handle it better. Sunak and the Conservatives went on to lose this election, suffering their worst defeat in modern elections. Historical context of migration The first humans who arrived in the British Isles, were followed by acts of conquest and settlement from Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and Normans. In the early modern period, there were also significant waves of migration from people fleeing religious or political persecution, such as the French Huguenots. More recently, large numbers of people also left Britain. Between 1820 and 1957, for example, around 4.5 million people migrated from Britain to America. After World War Two, immigration from Britain's colonies and former colonies was encouraged to meet labour demands. A key group that migrated from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and early 1970s became known as the Windrush generation, named after one of the ships that brought the arrivals to Britain.

As recorded by the source, Moroccans ranked as the foreign nationality with more residents in Spain in 2023, closely followed by Romanians. After years of losing its foreign population, Spain’s immigration figures started to pick up in 2015, with the number of people that moved to the Mediterranean country surpassing the number of foreigners that decided to leave.

A matter of balance The net migration rate of Spain changed its course mainly due to the great inflow of foreigners that move to reside in the Mediterranean country. Spain’s immigration flow slowed down after the 2008 financial crisis, albeit the number of foreigners that opted to change their residence saw a significant growth in the last years. In 2022, Colombians ranked first as the foreign nationality that most relocated to Spain, distantly followed by Moroccans and Ukranians.

Spain does not have the highest number of immigrants in Europe In recent years, the European Union confronted a rising number of refugees arriving from the Middle East. Migration figures show that Germany accommodated approximately 15 million foreign-born citizens, ranking it as the country that most hosted immigrants in Europe in 2022. By comparison, Spain’s foreign population stood slightly over seven million, positioning the Western Mediterranean country third on the European list of foreign-born population. Unfortunately, thousands of persons have died ore gone missing trying to reach Spanish territory, as more and more irregular migrants opt to use dangerous maritime routes to arrive at Southern Europe from Africa's coasts.

In 2024, approximately 958,959 Chinese (including those of Korean descent) resided in South Korea, the largest group of foreign nationals. This was followed by citizens from Vietnam, with around 305,936 people.

According to the 2021 Census, 62.9% (37.5 million) of the overall population of England and Wales was of ‘working age’ (between 16 and 64 years old).

Spain Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: United Kingdom data was reported at 1,841,242.000 Night in May 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,353,627.000 Night for Apr 2018. Spain Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: United Kingdom data is updated monthly, averaging 1,353,627.000 Night from Jan 2005 (Median) to May 2018, with 161 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,209,339.000 Night in Aug 2005 and a record low of 762,115.000 Night in Jan 2010. Spain Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistics Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.Q017: Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment.

Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data was reported at 626,263.000 Night in Mar 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,679,934.000 Night for Feb 2020. Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data is updated monthly, averaging 1,153,098.500 Night from Feb 2020 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,679,934.000 Night in Feb 2020 and a record low of 626,263.000 Night in Mar 2020. Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistics Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.Q017: Length of Stay: Overnight: Holiday Apartment.

Poland Length of Stay: Accommodation Establishment: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data was reported at 105,418.000 Night in May 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 98,388.000 Night for Apr 2018. Poland Length of Stay: Accommodation Establishment: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data is updated monthly, averaging 78,786.000 Night from Jan 2007 (Median) to May 2018, with 137 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 123,173.000 Night in Jul 2017 and a record low of 33,485.000 Night in Jan 2009. Poland Length of Stay: Accommodation Establishment: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Central Statistical Office. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Poland – Table PL.Q003: Accommodation Establishments: Length of Stay: by Country.

Austria Length of Stay: Overnight: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data was reported at 360.457 Night th in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 615.319 Night th for Feb 2025. Austria Length of Stay: Overnight: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data is updated monthly, averaging 241.230 Night th from Jan 1974 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 615 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 792.791 Night th in Feb 2008 and a record low of 0.900 Night th in Apr 2020. Austria Length of Stay: Overnight: Foreigners: ow United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Austria. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Austria – Table AT.Q004: Length of Stay: Overnight. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

This table contains 25 series, with data for years 1955 - 2013 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 items: Canada ...) Last permanent residence (25 items: Total immigrants; France; Great Britain; Total Europe ...).

According to the 2021 Census, London was the most ethnically diverse region in England and Wales – 63.2% of residents identified with an ethnic minority group.

Length of Stay: Overnight: Campsite: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data was reported at 308,633.000 Night in Mar 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 635,559.000 Night for Feb 2020. Length of Stay: Overnight: Campsite: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data is updated monthly, averaging 472,096.000 Night from Feb 2020 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 635,559.000 Night in Feb 2020 and a record low of 308,633.000 Night in Mar 2020. Length of Stay: Overnight: Campsite: Foreigners: EU27 excl Spain and UK data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistics Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.Q016: Length of Stay: Overnight: Campsite.