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ONS Overhaul Revises UK Migration: Higher 2023 Peak, Lower 2024 Net as More Britons Leave

The statistics body replaced survey estimates with DWP data for Britons plus Home Office records for other groups to correct undercounts.

Overview

  • Net migration is now estimated to have peaked at 944,000 in the year to March 2023, higher and earlier than previous figures suggested.
  • The year to December 2024 is re-estimated at 345,000, a steeper drop than first reported and the lowest 12‑month figure since June 2021.
  • Revisions show 257,000 Britons emigrated in 2024 and 143,000 returned, taking net British migration to minus 114,000 versus an earlier estimate of minus 17,000.
  • Cumulative net migration for 2021–2024 is now put at 2.55 million, down from a prior estimate of 2.65 million.
  • The move from the International Passenger Survey to administrative datasets improves coverage but remains experimental for British nationals, with another ONS update due on November 27.