2018, UK migration
In 2018, 825,000 people moved to the UK and 549,000 moved away.
- Net migration
- 276,000
People moving for a year or more. All UK, every nationality, including British citizens.
- British
- 74,000 moved to the UK and 147,000 moved away. For this year the ONS bases its British figures on the International Passenger Survey, adjusted in November 2023 using census data. From mid-2021 the ONS counts British people a different way, and says figures before and after should not be compared.
- Method
- An ONS estimate from its current method, based mainly on government records. The ONS changed its method in 1991, so years either side are not directly comparable. Its current series starts in the year ending June 2012, and its older survey-based figures, which run on to 2019 in Table 2.00, are not directly comparable with it. It changed its method again in mid-2021, and says comparisons across that change should be treated with caution.
- Note
- The ONS has replaced its older survey figure for this year with this one, from its current method.
- Latest year
- In 2025 (first estimate), 813,000 people moved to the UK and 642,000 moved away. The ONS puts net migration that year at 171,000. The ONS says comparisons across mid-2021 should be treated with caution.
- Source
- ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025, published 21 May 2026
British from the ONS, migration flows dataset, May 2026
ONS figures for every year from 1964 to 2025.
Since you were born
From 2018 to 2020, 2,275,000 people moved to the UK and 1,723,000 moved away.
These add up each year's ONS estimate. The ONS changed its method in mid-2021 and says comparisons across that change should be treated with caution, so the years after 2020 are not added on. The same person can count more than once.
Every year
Each year opens its own page, with its card to share.