Indian nationals have emerged as the largest group of foreigners both leaving and entering the UK over the past year, according to the latest migration statistics released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The ONS report, based on UK Home Office data, highlights that “Indian was the most common nationality among those emigrating” from the UK. Additionally, it noted that Indian nationals were the leading non-EU+ group immigrating to the country. These findings appear in the provisional report titled Long-term International Migration: Year Ending December 2024.
Detailed Breakdown of the Figures
The ONS analysis shows that approximately 37,000 Indians left the UK for study-related reasons, 18,000 for work, and 3,000 for other unspecified purposes—totaling around 58,000 Indian emigrants last year. Chinese nationals followed with 45,000 emigrants, alongside Nigerians (16,000), Pakistanis (12,000), and Americans (8,000), rounding out the top five.
Overall, the UK experienced a significant decline in net migration, dropping by 431,000 in the year ending December 2024—nearly half the previous year’s total. Emigration increased by 11%, reaching an estimated 517,000 departures compared to 466,000 the year before.
Study-Related Emigration Dominates
The report identified study-related emigration as the primary factor driving departures among the five most common non-EU nationalities. The surge in long-term emigration of non-EU nationals on study visas is mainly attributed to large numbers of Indian and Chinese students leaving the UK.
Mary Gregory, Director of Population Statistics at the ONS, told PTI news agency that the decline in net migration is primarily due to fewer arrivals for work and study, especially among student dependents.
“There has also been an increase in emigration over the 12 months to December 2024, particularly among people leaving who initially arrived on study visas after pandemic travel restrictions were eased,” Gregory explained.
Government Response and Political Context
The drop in net migration has been welcomed by the UK government, which has made immigration a key political issue amid rising numbers and gains by the far-right Reform party.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, commenting on social media, said: “Under the Tories, net migration reached nearly 1 million—roughly the size of Birmingham’s population. I know you are angry about this, and I promised I would change it.”
“Today’s statistics show we have nearly halved net migration in the last year. We’re taking back control,” he added.
Experts noted that this represents the largest 12-month reduction in net migration on record, and the most substantial calendar-year drop since early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted enforcement efforts, stating: “These figures show a big increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders, record levels of illegal working penalties, and a decrease in the asylum backlog and hotel use.”
Long-Term Immigration Declines
Long-term immigration fell below one million for the first time in nearly three years, with an estimated 948,000 arrivals in the year ending December 2024—a nearly 30% drop from 1,326,000 in the prior year, and the lowest level since March 2022.
Former Home Secretary James Cleverly, now with the Opposition Conservative Party, credited these results to policies he implemented, saying, “This drop is because of the visa rule changes that I put in place.”
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