China
In 2025, 54,000 people of Chinese 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 China in 2025.
UK counts
These counts can overlap. Never add them together.
- Moved to the UK
- 54,000 people
- Chinese nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
- Asylum claims
- 1,480 people
- People named on initial claims, main applicants and family members. Counted by claim date, not arrival date.
- Small boat arrivals
- 34 people detected
- People detected arriving by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised.
- Resettled or relocated
- 0 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 visas5,774 grants
Includes family members of workers, and seasonal and other short work visas.
Study visas89,648 grants
Includes family members of students, and short study visas.
Family visas920 grants
The family route, including refugee family reunion. Not the family members counted in work or study.
Safe route visas4,138 grants
The BN(O) route and the Ukraine schemes.
Other visas1,272 grants
All other visas, including EU Settlement Scheme permits and visas for resettled refugees.
Selected visa routes100,480 grants
Added here Work, study, family and safe route grants added up here, 5,774 + 89,648 + 920 + 4,138. Excludes other visas. Not all visas, and not arrivals.
History
Showing Moved to the UK, ONS estimate, people.
Chinese nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
| Year | People |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 90,000 |
| 2022 | 96,000 |
| 2023 | 77,000 |
| 2024 | 67,000 |
| 2025 | 54,000 first estimate |
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
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
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 China. 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 China. 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 China. 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, %
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 China. Latest observation in the file, 2020. 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 China. 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 China. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total population.
ReligionsChina 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.
China
2021 estimate · CIA World Factbook [1]
- Folk religion21.9%
- Buddhist18.2%
- Christian5.1%
- Muslim1.8%
- Hinduless than 0.1%
- Jewishless than 0.1%
- Other0.7%includes Daoist (Taoist)
- Unaffiliated52.1%
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 folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, Hindu less than 0.1%, Jewish less than 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.1% (2021 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 people of Chinese nationality moved to the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 54,000 people of Chinese 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 China in 2025?
In 2025, the Home Office granted 5,774 work, 89,648 study, 920 family, 4,138 safe route and 1,272 other visas to nationals of China, counting main applicants and family members. Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026.
How many nationals of China claimed asylum in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 1,480 nationals of China 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 China arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025?
In 2025, 34 nationals of China 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 China were resettled in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 0 nationals of China were resettled or relocated to the UK through UK resettlement schemes, by date of arrival. Source: Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02).