Headcount
Nationalities

Bangladesh

In 2025, 16,000 people of Bangladeshi nationality moved to the UK for a year or more, on a visa, by the ONS's first estimate.

How UK records count nationals of Bangladesh in 2025.

On this page

UK counts

2025 · By nationality, as the Home Office records it

These counts can overlap. Never add them together.

Moved to the UK
16,000 people
Bangladeshi nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
ONS estimate · 2025 (first estimate) [1]
Visas granted
See 5 routes
A visa gives permission to come. It is not an arrival.
Home Office · grants · 2025 [2]
Asylum claims
6,419 people
People named on initial claims, main applicants and family members. Counted by claim date, not arrival date.
Home Office · 2025 [3]
Small boat arrivals
8 people detected
People detected arriving by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised.
Home Office · 2025 [4]
Sources (4)
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.
Visa routes5 routes · 2025

Home Office · grants · 2025

A visa gives permission to come. It is not an arrival.

  • Work visas3,115 grants

    Includes family members of workers, and seasonal and other short work visas.

  • Study visas12,219 grants

    Includes family members of students, and short study visas.

  • Family visas1,920 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 visas502 grants

    All other visas, including EU Settlement Scheme permits and visas for resettled refugees.

Selected visa routes17,255 grants

Added here Work, study, family and safe route grants added up here, 3,115 + 12,219 + 1,920 + 1. Excludes other visas. Not all visas, and not arrivals.

History

Showing Moved to the UK, ONS estimate, people.

Bangladeshi nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.

Options

Sources (1)

ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025

Country context

These describe country populations, not people who moved to the UK. They do not explain migration.

Population people

Bangladesh

175,686,899

2025 [1]

UK

69,487,000

2025 [1]

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).

Life expectancy years at birth, both sexes

Bangladesh

74.9

2024 [2]

UK

81.4

2024 [2]

GDP per person constant 2021 international dollars

Bangladesh

8,677

2025 [3]

UK

53,993

2025 [3]

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 Bangladesh. 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 Bangladesh. 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 Bangladesh. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
Unit as published, constant 2021 international dollars.
More contextLiteracy, unemployment and urban population

Adult literacy people aged 15 and over, %

Bangladesh

79.0%

2022 [1]

UK

Not published

Unemployment share of the labour force, %

Bangladesh

3.8%

2025 · Modelled estimate [2]

UK

4.7%

2025 · Modelled estimate [2]

Urban population share of residents, %

Bangladesh

33.2%

2025 [3]

UK

83.3%

2025 [3]

National definitions differ.

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 Bangladesh. Latest observation in the file, 2022. 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 Bangladesh. 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 Bangladesh. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
Unit as published, % of total population.
ReligionsBangladesh 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 years and categories.

Bangladesh

2022 census · UNdata [1]

  • Buddhist1,001,974 people
  • Christian488,583 people
  • Hindu13,144,204 people
  • Muslim150,422,600 people
  • Other101,255 people

UK

2011 census · UNdata [2]

  • Buddhist261,584 people
  • Christian37,583,962 people
  • Hindu835,418 people
  • Jewish269,568 people
  • Muslim2,786,635 people
  • No Religion16,221,509 people
  • Not Specified4,528,323 people
Sources (2)
1 UNdata, Demographic Statistics Database, population by religion (table 28)
Bangladesh, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. Counts of people, total area, both sexes.
Census year 2022. UNdata lists it as received in 2023.
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 people of Bangladeshi nationality moved to the UK in 2025?

In 2025, 16,000 people of Bangladeshi nationality moved to the UK for a year or more, on a visa, by the ONS's first estimate. Source: ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025.

How many UK visas were granted to nationals of Bangladesh in 2025?

In 2025, the Home Office granted 3,115 work, 12,219 study, 1,920 family, 1 safe route and 502 other visas to nationals of Bangladesh, counting main applicants and family members. Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026.

How many nationals of Bangladesh claimed asylum in the UK in 2025?

In 2025, 6,419 nationals of Bangladesh 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 Bangladesh arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025?

In 2025, 8 nationals of Bangladesh 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.

All nationalitiesThe full A to Z table, with Bangladesh selected