About this data
- From 2012, “EU” is ONS's EU+ group: nationals of EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Before 2012 it covers nationals of the countries that were EU members at the time. Irish nationals are included in EU.
- “Non-EU” covers all other non-British nationals.
- Figures up to 2011 come from ONS's earlier method, based mainly on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). From 2012 onwards, figures use ONS's current method, based mainly on administrative data (Home Office visa and travel data, and tax and benefits records). The two series are not directly comparable, so the lines are shown with a break.
- A long-term international migrant is someone who changes their country of usual residence for at least 12 months (the UN definition).
- Estimates for 2024 are revised and 2025 are provisional; ONS revises recent estimates as more travel data becomes available.
This chart appears in Migration.