Net migration to the UK drops below 200,000

New figures show net migration to the UK has fallen to below 200,000, the lowest point since the Covid pandemic, as fewer people come to the UK for work.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that in the 12 months to December 2025, the number of people entering a country minus the number of people leaving each year is an estimated 171,000.

Net migration peaked at 944,000 in 2023 but has since fallen sharply as fewer people come to the UK for work or education. Not counting the Covid pandemic, the last time net migration to the UK was this low was 2012, when international travel was halted around the world.

Net migration to the UK reached 193,000 by March 2018 and was 157,000 per year by September 2012. During the Covid pandemic, net migration estimates dropped to around 35,000.

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