London: UK net migration has dropped sharply in 2024, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimating a 49.9 percent fall, from 860,000 in the year ending December 2023 to 431,000 in the year ending December 2024.
This marks the largest annual decline in net migration since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the biggest numerical drop recorded for any 12 months.
The sharp decline is largely attributed to a significant reduction in the number of people coming to the UK for work and study, particularly student dependents, following new immigration restrictions introduced by the previous Conservative government in early 2024. These included tighter skilled visa rules, higher fees, and broader eligibility limitations.
Long-term net migration is down by almost 50%.
The number of people immigrating long-term minus the number of people emigrating long-term is provisionally estimated to be 431,000 in year ending December 2024 compared with 860,000 a year earlier.
➡️https://t.co/nxZBBkh1i4 pic.twitter.com/sQVw4Hml0O
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 22, 2025
Long-term immigration to the UK fell below 1 million for the first time in nearly three years, down to 948,000 from 1,326,000 in the previous 12-month period.
This marks the first time immigration numbers dipped below one million since the year ending March 2022. Meanwhile, emigration rose by approximately 11 percent, from 466,000 to 517,000 over the same period, bringing the number of people leaving the UK back to levels seen around June 2017.
ONS Director of Population Statistics, Mary Gregory, explained that the decrease in UK net migration is driven by policy changes that restricted visa applications, particularly for those coming to study.
The increase in emigration also reflects many individuals originally admitted on study visas choosing to leave the UK as pandemic-era travel restrictions eased.
The migration data was released shortly after Prime Minister Keir Starmer remarked that high UK net migration had inflicted ‘incalculable’ damage on British society.
PM emphasized the need for improved integration, warning that the UK risked becoming an ‘island of strangers’ without it. Starmer pledged to reduce net migration significantly by the next general election but declined to set a specific target.
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