Afghanistan
In 2025, 6,511 nationals of Afghanistan claimed asylum in the UK, counting main applicants and family members.
How UK records count nationals of Afghanistan in 2025.
UK counts
These counts can overlap. Never add them together.
- Moved to the UK
- Not published
- The ONS does not publish an estimate for this nationality.
- Asylum claims
- 6,511 people
- People named on initial claims, main applicants and family members. Counted by claim date, not arrival date.
- Small boat arrivals
- 4,801 people detected
- People detected arriving by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised.
- Resettled or relocated
- 5,872 people
- People who came through UK resettlement schemes, including the Afghan schemes, by date of arrival. Not a visa route.
Sources (5)
- 1 ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025
- Table 3e of the dataset, nationalities outside the EU+, on a visa. The ONS publishes nationality estimates for a few nationalities only.
- Published 21 May 2026. Official statistics in development.
- 2 Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026
- Entry clearance visas granted, main applicants and family members together, by date of decision.
- Published 27 August 2026. Accredited official statistics.
- 3 Home Office, asylum claims dataset (Asy_D01)
- Initial claims, main applicants and family members, by date of claim.
- Published 27 August 2026. Accredited official statistics.
- 4 Home Office, illegal entry routes dataset
- Small boat arrivals by nationality, people detected, calendar years from 2018.
- Published 27 August 2026. Official statistics.
- 5 Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02)
- Res_D02, people resettled or relocated, by date of arrival in the UK.
- Published 27 August 2026.
Visa routes5 routes · 2025
A visa gives permission to come. It is not an arrival.
Work visas153 grants
Includes family members of workers.
Study visas271 grants
Includes family members of students.
Family visas4,268 grants
The family route, including refugee family reunion. Not the family members counted in work or study.
Safe route visas1 grant
The BN(O) route and the Ukraine schemes.
Other visas5,873 grants
All other visas, including EU Settlement Scheme permits and visas for resettled refugees.
Selected visa routes4,693 grants
Added here Long-term work, study, family and safe route grants added up here, 153 + 271 + 4,268 + 1. Excludes other visas. Not all visas, and not arrivals.
History
Showing Work visas, grants.
Showing work visas because the ONS does not publish an estimate for this nationality. Visas are not arrivals.
| Year | Grants |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 44 |
| 2013 | 55 |
| 2014 | 97 |
| 2015 | 47 |
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 47 |
| 2019 | 51 |
| 2020 | 36 |
| 2021 | 62 |
| 2022 | 220 |
| 2023 | 326 |
| 2024 | 369 |
| 2025 | 153 |
Sources (1)
Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026
Country context
These describe country populations, not people who moved to the UK. They do not explain migration.
Population people
The UK figure is the World Bank's, so both countries come from one source. The ONS estimates the UK population at 69,483,939 on 30 June 2025 (published 1 October 2026).
GDP per person constant 2021 international dollars
Different years. GDP at purchasing power parity, not earnings or household income.
Sources (3)
- 1 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.POP.TOTL
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, people.
- 2 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.DYN.LE00.IN
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2024. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, years.
- 3 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.KD
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2024. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, constant 2021 international dollars.
More contextLiteracy, unemployment and urban population
Adult literacy people aged 15 and over, %
UK
Not published
Unemployment share of the labour force, %
Sources (3)
- 1 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
- Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above).
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2021. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of people ages 15 and above.
- 2 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate).
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total labour force.
- 3 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
- Urban population (% of total population).
- The record for Afghanistan. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total population.
ReligionsAfghanistan and the UK
These records describe residents in each country. They do not show the religions of people who moved to the UK.
Not directly comparable. Different sources, years, units and categories.
Afghanistan
2009 estimate · CIA World Factbook [1]
- Muslim99.7%Sunni 84.7 to 89.7%, Shia 10 to 15%
- Other less than 0.3%
UK
2011 census · UNdata [2]
- Buddhist261,584 people
- Christian37,583,962 people
- Hindu835,418 people
- Jewish269,568 people
- Muslim2,786,635 people
- Sikh432,429 people
- Other262,750 people
- No Religion16,221,509 people
- Not Specified4,528,323 people
Sources (2)
- 1 CIA World Factbook, People and Society, Religions (archived JSON)
- The Factbook text reads Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 to 89.7%, Shia 10 to 15%), other less than 0.3% (2009 est.)
- Archive snapshot, 2026 archive. Shares as the Factbook gives them.
- 2 UNdata, Demographic Statistics Database, population by religion (table 28)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. Counts of people, total area, both sexes.
- Census year 2011. UNdata lists it as received in 2014.
Questions people ask
How many UK visas were granted to nationals of Afghanistan in 2025?
In 2025, the Home Office granted 153 work, 271 study, 4,268 family, 1 safe route and 5,873 other visas to nationals of Afghanistan, counting main applicants and family members. Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026.
How many nationals of Afghanistan claimed asylum in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 6,511 nationals of Afghanistan claimed asylum in the UK, counting main applicants and family members by date of claim. Source: Home Office, asylum claims dataset (Asy_D01).
How many nationals of Afghanistan arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025?
In 2025, 4,801 nationals of Afghanistan were detected arriving in the UK by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised. Source: Home Office, illegal entry routes dataset.
How many nationals of Afghanistan were resettled in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 5,872 nationals of Afghanistan were resettled or relocated to the UK through UK resettlement schemes, by date of arrival. Source: Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02).