The immigrant population

How many immigrants live in the UK

Migrants are people who change their ‘usual country of residence’. However defining who the ‘immigrant population’ are is difficult. There are two main options: count the number of people resident in the UK who were born abroad, or count the number of UK residents with a foreign nationality.

The Annual Population Survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) provides breakdowns of the UK population by either country of birth or nationality. This information is available in annual ONS releases while the 2011 Census holds more detailed figures.

Where immigrants live

For detailed tables showing migrant population estimates by local authority, the NOMIS database of official labour market statistics is a helpful source.

Immigrants and the immigration system

The Home Office publishes a series of occasional reports on the typical journey of migrants through the UK immigration system, including whether and how they move between (permanent and temporary) work and study, as well as whether or not they’re living with family.

Immigrants claiming benefits

Foreign nationals who work or claim benefits and tax credits in the UK generally require a national insurance number. This includes those who are self-employed or students working part-time.

Every three months the Department for Work and Pensions publishes a statistical bulletin on the National Insurance allocations to Adult Overseas Nationals entering the UK. This bulletin contains data on foreign nationals claiming benefits, such as Jobseekers’ Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance. The data is broken down by type of benefit and continent of origin, and historical figures start from 2008.

To find out how many foreign nationals are letting social housing, the Department for Communities and Local Government publishes data on social housing lettings and sales. Within the release, information is broken down by household characteristics and show how many lettings go to UK nationals.

The impacts of immigration

Migration can have an impact on many different aspects of society, including jobs, public services, housing, transport, crime and general social cohesion.

In 2012 the Migration Advisory Committee produced a report on this subject. There’s also information on various aspects of immigration – from the incidence of human trafficking to the pressure on social services – in the Home Office’s migration research and analysis section.

International comparisons

The EU’s statistics agency, Eurostat, publishes international comparisons of migration which allow us to compare the UK’s migrant population with that of other European countries.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has a similar database that includes countries outside the EU. It has also produced a one-off publication examining migrant populations in the 21st century.