UK net migration drops nearly 50% to 171,000 in 2025

Net migration to the United Kingdom fell by nearly half to 171,000 last year, official figures released Thursday show, providing a boost to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the difference between arrivals and departures hit its lowest level since 2021.

The figure represents a 48% decline year-on-year from 331,000 in 2024, extending a sharp drop from a record high of 944,000 in 2023.

Government ministers, who have promised to reduce migration numbers, will welcome the figures as migration has become a key political issue amid the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

Arrivals of non-EU nationals for work-related reasons fell 47% in 2025, the primary driver of the continued decline in net migration, while overall emigration edged down during the same period.

An estimated 813,000 people immigrated to the UK and 642,000 emigrated, with the persistent decline driven by fewer non-EU arrivals for work, the ONS said.

The ONS data covers the 12 months through December 2025.

The Home Office will release its own figures Thursday for the 12-month period ending March 2026.

Despite the drop to the lowest level in years, many Britons mistakenly believe net migration is rising, according to research from the thinktank British Future, which found a significant gap between public perception and reality.