Net migration into the United Kingdom fell to 171,000 in 2025, representing a 48% decline from 331,000 the previous year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) cited by Bloomberg. This marks the lowest annual figure since records began in 2012, excluding the pandemic year of 2020 when global travel restrictions temporarily suppressed movement. The decline is even more dramatic when viewed over a longer horizon, with net migration dropping 82% from its peak of 944,000 in the year ending March 2023. As per the ONS, the figures have been broadly stable over recent years, with the latest estimate of 171,000 for the year to December 2025 being the lowest for any 12-month period since the year ending March 2021, when it stood at 132,000.
The fall in migration is closely linked to policy changes introduced over the past two years by both the former Conservative and current Labour administrations. According to Home Office data reported by Bloomberg, non-EU nationals arriving for work fell 47% to 146,000, while overall work visas declined 17% to 253,000. The sharpest fall was recorded in skilled worker visas, especially in the care sector. At the same time, student arrivals continued to rise, highlighting a divergence between education-related inflows and labour migration. The decline is likely due to policy changes introduced by the previous Conservative government and continued by the current Labour administration, which have tightened rules for coming to the UK to work. From March 2024, care workers could no longer bring family members with them to the country, while from April 2024 the salary threshold was increased for people wishing to come to the UK on a skilled worker visa, along with the income threshold for a family visa. In July 2025, the Labour Government introduced further changes, including ending overseas recruitment for care workers and raising the salary threshold again for skilled worker visas.
The migration slowdown comes as immigration has become a central political battleground in the UK. The ruling Labour Party has announced further changes aimed at reducing low-skilled migration while offering a more streamlined route for high-income workers. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that "real progress has been made, but there is still work to do," according to Bloomberg. Key proposed changes include making it harder for low-income migrants to qualify for residency and citizenship, while easing pathways for high earners and skilled professionals. The changes to migration rules introduced in 2024 and 2025 are likely to continue having an impact on people moving to the UK in 2026. Home Office data shows the number of main applicants for skilled work visas in the first four months of 2026 stood at 7,800, down from 14,400 in the equivalent period in 2025 and 29,200 in 2024. Main applicants for health and care worker visas stood at 2,000 in January-April 2026, down from 7,000 in the same period in 2025 and 12,400 in 2024.
While lower migration may ease political pressure, economists warn of potential economic costs. The Office for Budget Responsibility has previously cautioned that stricter immigration rules could weaken long-term growth by reducing labour supply in key sectors. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford noted that "net migration may well have further to fall, because visa grants have continued to decline since 2025." However, he added that "the downward trend is likely to be temporary. That's because lower immigration will eventually feed through into lower emigration." The downward trend is likely to be temporary because lower immigration will eventually feed through into lower emigration. The data illustrate a challenge the Government faces, namely that the categories of migration it would most like to reduce are the ones least amenable to policy. As a result, migration of groups that make positive or broadly neutral economic impacts – such as skilled workers and partners of students – is down, while asylum-related migration remains high. Since refugees have lower employment rates and often need a lot of support from the state, this means that the composition of recent migration has probably become less favourable from an economic perspective.
Another factor behind the fall in net migration is that fewer people are arriving in the UK through the Government's humanitarian resettlement schemes for British nationals in Hong Kong and individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine. These schemes were launched in 2021 and 2022 respectively and saw a spike in applications, followed by a steady decrease in numbers. A third factor is an increase in recent years in people moving out of the UK, though there are signs this trend may be coming to an end. Emigration from the UK stood at 642,000 in 2025, down slightly from 680,000 in 2024 but higher than 593,000 in 2023 and 508,000 in 2022. Sarah Crofts, ONS deputy director of migration statistics, said: "While emigration had been increasing since 2022, there are early signs it may now be starting to fall, though it is too soon to say whether this will continue." The fall in the past 12 months is mainly due to a decrease in EU nationals leaving, while the rate of non-EU emigration has slowed. The number of British nationals emigrating from the UK stood at an estimated 246,000 in 2025, down slightly from 257,000 in 2024 and 255,000 in 2023, with there also being a drop in the number of British people moving long-term into the UK from 140,000 in 2024 to 110,000 in 2025.
