Nigeria
In 2025, 47,000 people of Nigerian 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 Nigeria in 2025.
UK counts
These counts can overlap. Never add them together.
- Moved to the UK
- 47,000 people
- Nigerian nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
- Asylum claims
- 2,955 people
- People named on initial claims, main applicants and family members. Counted by claim date, not arrival date.
- Small boat arrivals
- 20 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 visas11,758 grants
Includes family members of workers, and seasonal and other short work visas.
Study visas36,922 grants
Includes family members of students, and short study visas.
Family visas1,523 grants
The family route, including refugee family reunion. Not the family members counted in work or study.
Safe route visas4 grants
The BN(O) route and the Ukraine schemes.
Other visas919 grants
All other visas, including EU Settlement Scheme permits and visas for resettled refugees.
Selected visa routes50,207 grants
Added here Work, study, family and safe route grants added up here, 11,758 + 36,922 + 1,523 + 4. Excludes other visas. Not all visas, and not arrivals.
History
Showing Moved to the UK, ONS estimate, people.
Nigerian nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
| Year | People |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 48,000 |
| 2022 | 129,000 |
| 2023 | 180,000 |
| 2024 | 57,000 |
| 2025 | 47,000 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 Nigeria. 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 Nigeria. 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 Nigeria. 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 Nigeria. Latest observation in the file, 2024. 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 Nigeria. 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 Nigeria. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total population.
ReligionsNigeria 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.
Nigeria
2018 estimate · CIA World Factbook [1]
- Muslim53.5%
- Roman Catholic10.6%
- Other Christian35.3%
- Other0.6%
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 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6% (2018 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 Nigerian nationality moved to the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 47,000 people of Nigerian 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 Nigeria in 2025?
In 2025, the Home Office granted 11,758 work, 36,922 study, 1,523 family, 4 safe route and 919 other visas to nationals of Nigeria, counting main applicants and family members. Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026.
How many nationals of Nigeria claimed asylum in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 2,955 nationals of Nigeria 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 Nigeria arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025?
In 2025, 20 nationals of Nigeria 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 Nigeria were resettled in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 0 nationals of Nigeria were resettled or relocated to the UK through UK resettlement schemes, by date of arrival. Source: Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02).