MigrantoImmigrants in the UK
8.7M foreigners live in the UK — 13% of the country's population
Immigrants in the UK by country
The 3 largest groups make up 30% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 1044779 |
| Poland | 902193 |
| Romania | 713578 |
| Pakistan | 703309 |
| Ireland | 360446 |
| Italy | 342143 |
| Nigeria | 324007 |
| Bangladesh | 298666 |
| Germany | 287772 |
| Ukraine | 274187 |
| South Africa | 245446 |
| USA | 243570 |
| Spain | 211894 |
| Lithuania | 206668 |
| Portugal | 193901 |
| China | 179337 |
| Philippines | 176515 |
| France | 174571 |
| Sri Lanka | 160178 |
| Ghana | 154782 |
| Jamaica | 146646 |
| Turkey | 145391 |
| Hong Kong | 142011 |
| Kenya | 137817 |
| Zimbabwe | 132869 |
| Australia | 124319 |
| Iran | 124200 |
| Somalia | 119728 |
| Afghanistan | 99398 |
| Iraq | 99203 |
| Canada | 81845 |
| Malaysia | 66932 |
| New Zealand | 50762 |
| Singapore | 45936 |
| Croatia | 15398 |
By region of origin
42% of immigrants come from Europe
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Key facts
Immigrants in the UK in numbers
People born in Romania are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Romania living in the UK has grown 277% since 2015, from 189.4K to 713.6K.
51% of all emigrants from Ireland live in the UK
No other country has more people born in Ireland.
Immigration drives population growth
49% of the population growth of the UK since 1990 came from immigrants.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
7 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania. Romania climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
Immigrants come from a wider range of countries than in 1990
The largest group's share fell from 22% to 12%.
1 in 15 people born in Ireland lives in the UK
360.4K people born in Ireland live in the UK — 6.68% of the population of Ireland.
Immigrant population in the UK over time
Foreigners living in the UK, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 2891396 |
| 1995 | 3200636 |
| 2000 | 3662231 |
| 2005 | 4434670 |
| 2010 | 5845649 |
| 2015 | 6722572 |
| 2020 | 7749166 |
| 2024 | 8730397 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in the UK, by year
| Year | Indians | Poles | Romanians | Pakistanis | Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 405445 | 74813 | 3697 | 227526 | 635576 |
| 1995 | 433162 | 67979 | 5200 | 267139 | 586223 |
| 2000 | 462269 | 61534 | 7201 | 312751 | 540309 |
| 2005 | 561720 | 165337 | 20888 | 387949 | 504766 |
| 2010 | 700150 | 558210 | 69898 | 486938 | 472667 |
| 2015 | 817881 | 728332 | 189427 | 562645 | 431716 |
| 2020 | 946151 | 826408 | 502169 | 642044 | 392620 |
| 2024 | 1044779 | 902193 | 713578 | 703309 | 360446 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in the UK
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in the UK
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in the UK?
Around 8.7M immigrants live in the UK — the world's #5 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of the UK are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 13% of the population of the UK — that's 8.7M out of a total population of 69.2M.
Where do most immigrants in the UK come from?
Most immigrants in the UK come from India, Poland and Romania — these three countries account for about 30% of all immigrants.
How many Indians live in the UK?
Around 1M Indians live in the UK — about 12% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in the UK growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in the UK has grown from 6.7M to 8.7M, about 30%.
Where does the data on immigrants in the UK come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in the UK. Their children born in the UK are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in the UK
See the full country overview