Key Indicators
Net Migration
The headline numbers: how many people are moving to and from the UK, and the balance between them - the statistic every recent government has promised to bring down, and the one that has moved most dramatically.
Annual Net Migration
UK net migration fell to 171,000 in 2025, down from a record 944,000 in 2023, after post-Brexit visa rules were tightened.
Immigration vs Emigration
In the year to mid-2025, about 898,000 people moved to the UK and 693,000 left. The fall in net migration reflects both fewer arrivals and rising emigration.
Small Boat Channel Crossings
The most politically charged route into the UK, even though it represents a small share of total migration. These charts show the scale, the seasonality and who is actually making the crossing.
Monthly Small Boat Crossings
Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, the second-highest year on record. Crossings peaked near 46,000 in 2022.
Small Boat Arrivals by Nationality
Eritreans were the most common nationality arriving by small boat in 2025, with 7,602 arrivals, more than double the year before. Afghans, Iranians, Sudanese and Somalis made up most of the rest. Albanian numbers fell sharply after a 2022 returns deal.
Visa Grants
Legal routes dwarf irregular ones: work and study visas are where the big migration numbers are made - and where policy changes bite fastest.
Work, Study & Family Visas
Visas granted for work, study and family. Study visas fell to 410,000 in the year to March 2026, down 37% from the 2023 peak, after rules on pay and dependants were tightened.
Visa Breakdown
The share of visas granted for work, study and family. These legal routes account for far more arrivals than small boats.
Asylum System
Applications, decisions and the backlog between them: the machinery whose delays and hotel bills have made asylum processing a political issue in its own right.
Asylum Applications
There were around 94,000 asylum claims in the year to March 2026, down 12% but still near record levels. About 40% of claimants arrived legally on a visa.
Asylum Grant Rate
The asylum grant rate fell to 39% in the year to March 2026, down from a peak of 77% in 2022. Many refusals are later overturned on appeal.
Asylum Applications, Decisions & Grant Rates
| Nationality | Region | Applications | Decisions | Grant Rate |
|---|
The Home Office made 128,000 initial asylum decisions in the year to March 2026, 32% more than the year before. When decisions lag claims, the backlog grows.
About this data
Net migration estimates come from the Office for National Statistics; small boat crossings, visa grants and asylum figures come from the Home Office's official statistical releases. Most series update quarterly on pre-announced dates, with small boats data published more frequently.
Migration statistics deserve more caution than most: net migration estimates are provisional and often revised by large amounts, small boats figures count one specific route rather than all irregular migration, and asylum grant rates shift with the nationality mix of applicants. The charts show the best official picture, but the newest data points are always the least settled.
Frequently asked questions
What is UK net migration?
Net migration is immigration minus emigration. It fell to 171,000 in 2025, down from a record 944,000 in 2023, after post-Brexit visa rules were tightened.
How many people cross the Channel in small boats?
About 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, the second-highest year on record. Crossings peaked near 46,000 in 2022.
What is the UK asylum grant rate?
Around 39% of asylum claims are granted at the first decision, down from a peak of 77% in 2022. Many initial refusals are later overturned on appeal.
What is net migration?
Net migration is the number of people moving to the UK for at least a year minus the number leaving. A positive figure means the population is growing through migration. It is estimated by the Office for National Statistics and published twice a year.
How accurate are net migration figures?
Net migration figures are estimates, initially published as provisional and frequently revised - sometimes by large amounts - as fuller administrative data becomes available. The most recent periods on the chart are therefore the least certain.
What counts as a small boat crossing?
The Home Office counts people detected arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats. The figures cover that specific route only, and are strongly seasonal, with more crossings in calm summer months.
What is the asylum backlog?
The backlog is the number of asylum applications still waiting for an initial decision from the Home Office. It matters because applicants generally cannot work while they wait and must be housed and supported, so a larger, slower queue increases both costs and pressure on the system.
Where does the immigration data on this page come from?
Net migration estimates come from the Office for National Statistics, while small boat crossings, visa grants and asylum figures come from the Home Office's official statistical releases. The charts update as each new release is published.