# Foreign-born population of the United Kingdom

The foreign-born population of the United Kingdom includes immigrants from a wide range of countries who are resident in the United Kingdom. In the period January to December 2017, there were groups from 25 foreign countries that were estimated to consist of at least 100,000 individuals residing in the UK (people born in Poland, India, Pakistan, Romania, Ireland, Germany, Bangladesh, Italy, South Africa, China, Nigeria, Lithuania, France, Spain, the United States, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Australia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Ghana, Latvia and Somalia).
The foreign-born population increased from about 5.3 million in 2004 to nearly 9.3 million in 2018. In the decade leading up to 2018, the number of non-EU migrants outnumbered EU migrants while the number of EU migrants increased more rapidly. EU citizens were noted to be less likely to become British citizens than non-EU migrants.

## Size of the foreign-born population

At the time of the UK census conducted in April 2001, 8.3 per cent of the country's population were foreign-born. This was substantially less than that of major immigration countries such as Australia (23 per cent), Canada (19.3 per cent) and the USA (12.3 per cent). In 2005, the foreign-born population was estimated at 9.1 per cent, compared to a European Union average of 8.6 per cent. The 2011 census recorded 7,337,139 foreign-born residents in England, corresponding to 13.8 per cent of the population. The foreign-born population of Wales was recorded as 167,871 (5.5 per cent), Scotland's as 369,284 (7 per cent) and Northern Ireland's as 119,186 (6.6 per cent), making the total foreign-born population of the UK 7,993,480. Figures for each census since 1951 are given in the table below.
A 2010 estimate for the whole of the UK shows that 4.76 million people (7.7 per cent) were born outside the EU and 2.24 million (3.6 per cent) were born in another EU member state.
The Office for National Statistics produces annual estimates of the size of the UK population by country of birth, based on the Annual Population Survey. The estimates for 2018 show that 9.3 million people (14 per cent of the usual resident population) were born abroad.
| Census | Foreign-born population | Percentage increase over previous decade | Percentage of total population |
| 1951 | 2,118,600 | | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 2,573,500 | 21.5 | 4.9 |
| 1971 | 3,190,300 | 24.0 | 5.8 |
| 1981 | 3,429,100 | 7.5 | 6.2 |
| 1991 | 3,835,400 | 11.8 | 6.7 |
| 2001 | 4,896,600 | 27.7 | 8.3 |
| 2011 | 7,993,480 | 63.0 | 12.7 |
| 2021 | | | |
In January 2021, analysis by the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence suggested that there had been an "unprecedented exodus" of almost 1.3 million foreign-born people from the UK between July 2019 and September 2020, in part due to the burden of job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic falling disproportionately on foreign-born workers. Furthermore according to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, in 2022 37% of individuals relocated for family, 29% for work, and 14% to study.Additionally, it's important to note that the reasons for relocating differ between individuals coming to the UK from EU countries and those arriving from non-EU countries. Furthermore, the Migration Observatory at Oxford University found that individuals from EU countries typically relocate to the UK for work, while those from non-EU countries are more likely to come for family reunification.
Interviews conducted by Al Jazeera suggested that Brexit may have been a more significant push factor than the pandemic. Subsequent analysis of the impact of the pandemic on population statistics generated by the Labour Force Survey (LFS) suggests that "LFS-based estimates are likely to significantly overstate the change in the non-UK national population". Payroll data shows that the number of EU workers fell by 7 per cent between October–December 2019 and October–December 2020.
According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford:
   The different sources of data on migration and migrants in the UK are not always consistent with each other. For example, from 2017 to 2019, the estimated number of EU-born residents as measured by the Annual Population Survey declined, while the International Passenger Survey (LTIM data) estimated that the net migration of EU citizens was still positive. There are various reasons for this, including differences in how data sources define migrants; known uncertainty in the estimates, which come with margins of error; and unknown sources of error, such as that arising from the fact that not everyone agrees to participate in official surveys. This means that it is often sensible to look at the overall picture across several data sources, rather than focusing on short-term changes in a single dataset. ONS has identified several limitations in current data sources, and is currently developing new approaches to producing migration statistics to address them. This is likely to lead to substantial changes in official migration data between now and 2023.
   The foreign-born will include some people who are born abroad to UK citizen parents. However, it is usually still the preferred definition when using data on the migrant population, and especially change in the population over time. This is because migrants who acquire UK citizenship are excluded from data on the non-UK citizen population, and rates of naturalisation vary significantly depending on migrants’ country of origin. Moreover, data on non-UK citizens also include many UK-born children of migrants who have themselves never migrated.

### Population structure

* Population pyramid of the foreign born population of England and Wales (unless otherwise specified)
* 1971 (Great Britain)
* 1981 (Great Britain)
* 1991
* 2001
* 2011
* 2021

### Year of arrival

Year of arrival into England and Wales :
| Year | Total number | Proportional make up |
| before 1951 | 74,538 | 1% |
| 1951 to 1960 | 233,840 | 2% |
| 1961 to 1970 | 540,232 | 5% |
| 1971 to 1980 | 554,640 | 5% |
| 1981 to 1990 | 580,298 | 6% |
| 1991 to 2000 | 1,089,094 | 11% |
| 2001 to 2010 | 2,696,364 | 27% |
| 2011 to 2013 | 879,515 | 8.8% |
| 2014 to 2016 | 1,255,036 | 12.5% |
| 2017 to 2019 | 1,434,823 | 14.3% |
| 2020 to 2021 | 679,592 | 6.8% |
| 2011 to 2021 | 4,248,966 | 42% |
| Total | 10,017,972 | 100% |

## Countries of origin

The table below lists the places of birth of UK residents according to the 2001 Census, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The table also lists population estimates of the foreign-born population for the top 60 foreign countries of birth in the period January 2010 to December 2010, published by the Office for National Statistics.
In 2001, the five most common foreign countries of birth were Ireland, India, Pakistan, Germany and the United States respectively. In 2010, the most common foreign countries of birth were India, Poland (up from 18th in 2001), Pakistan, Ireland and Germany, respectively. While those born in Germany constitute one of the UK's largest foreign-born groups, many are British nationals who were born in Germany to British military personnel based there. The United States dropped to eighth place behind South Africa and Bangladesh, despite growth in the size of the U.S.-born population.
The period between 2001 and 2010 saw significant change in the UK's foreign-born population. In particular, the 2004 and 2007 enlargements of the European Union have led to mass migration from Poland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Lithuania. The number of Poland-born people resident in the UK increased from 60,711 in 2001 to an estimated 532,000 in the year to December 2010, whilst the population born in Lithuania increased from 4,363 to an estimated 87,000. The most significant decrease in a foreign-born population resident in the UK between 2001 and 2010 is in the number of those originating from Ireland. Whilst 533,901 people born in Ireland were resident in the UK in 2001, this is estimated to have declined to 405,000 by 2010.
| Country of birth | Population (2001 census) | Population (2015 UN estimate) | Corresponding article(s) |
| United Kingdom | 53,923,642 | 56,254,898 | British people; Cornish people, English people, Manx people, Northern Irish people, Scottish people, Welsh people |
| India | 467,634 | 776,603 | Indians in the United Kingdom |
| Poland | 60,711 | 703,050 | Poles in the United Kingdom |
| Pakistan | 321,167 | 540,495 | Pakistanis in the United Kingdom |
| Ireland | 537,108 | 503,288 | Irish migration to Great Britain |
| Germany | 266,136 | 322,220 | Germans in the United Kingdom |
| Bangladesh | 154,362 | 230,143 | Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom |
| South Africa | 141,405 | 218,732 | South Africans in the United Kingdom |
| Nigeria | 88,378 | 216,268 | Nigerians in the United Kingdom |
| United States | 158,434 | 212,150 | Americans in the United Kingdom |
| China | 51,078 | 182,628 | Chinese in the United Kingdom |
| Jamaica | 146,401 | 172,829 | Jamaicans in the United Kingdom |
| Italy | 107,244 | 151,790 | Italians in the United Kingdom |
| Kenya | 129,633 | 151,073 | Kenyans in the United Kingdom |
| France | 96,281 | 149,872 | French in the United Kingdom |
| Philippines | 40,118 | 139,570 | Filipinos in the United Kingdom |
| Sri Lanka | 67,938 | 138,752 | Sri Lankans in the United Kingdom |
| Australia | 107,871 | 135,786 | Australians in the United Kingdom |
| Zimbabwe | 49,524 | 132,942 | Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom |
| Hong Kong | 96,445 | 119,990 | Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom |
| Lithuania | 4,363 | 116,861 | Lithuanians in the United Kingdom |
| Somalia | 43,532 | 110,775 | Somalis in the United Kingdom |
| Ghana | 56,112 | 102,837 | Ghanaians in the United Kingdom |
| Turkey | 54,079 | 100,956 | Turks in the United Kingdom |
| Portugal | 36,555 | 98,967 | Portuguese in the United Kingdom |
| Spain | 54,482 | 91,179 | Spaniards in the United Kingdom |
| Iran | 42,494 | 91,087 | Iranians in the United Kingdom |
| Romania | 7,631 | 89,402 | Romanians in the United Kingdom |
| Canada | 72,518 | 86,415 | Canadians in the United Kingdom |
| Cyprus | 77,673 | 84,815 | Cypriots in the United Kingdom |
| Iraq | 32,236 | 80,939 | Iraqis in the United Kingdom |
| Malaysia | 49,886 | 75,182 | Malaysians in the United Kingdom |
| Netherlands | 40,438 | 68,489 | Dutch in the United Kingdom |
| Afghanistan | 14,875 | 68,256 | Afghans in the United Kingdom |
| Slovakia | 5,273 | 67,781 | Slovaks in the United Kingdom |
| New Zealand | 58,286 | 67,276 | New Zealanders in the United Kingdom |
| Latvia | 4,275 | 66,046 | Latvians in the United Kingdom |
| Uganda | 55,213 | 65,447 | Ugandans in the United Kingdom |
| Hungary | 13,159 | 56,166 | Hungarians in the United Kingdom |
| Brazil | 15,215 | 56,055 | Brazilians in the United Kingdom |
| Nepal | 5,943 | 54,695 | Nepalis in the United Kingdom |
| Bulgaria | 5,351 | 51,875 | Bulgarians in the United Kingdom |
| Thailand | 16,257 | 47,389 | Thais in the United Kingdom |
| Singapore | 40,474 | 45,351 | Singaporeans in the United Kingdom |
| Mauritius | 27,078 | 45,123 | Mauritians in the United Kingdom |
| Russia | 15,160 | 42,491 | Russians in the United Kingdom |
| Czech Republic | 12,220 | 41,605 | Czechs in the United Kingdom |
| Japan | 37,535 | 40,127 | Japanese in the United Kingdom |
| Greece | 35,169 | 39,700 | Greeks in the United Kingdom |
| Tanzania | 32,630 | 38,691 | Tanzanians in the United Kingdom |
| Saudi Arabia | 8,789 | 36,148 | Saudi Arabians in the United Kingdom |
| Sweden | 22,525 | 35,055 | Swedes in the United Kingdom |
| Egypt | 24,700 | 33,686 | Egyptians in the United Kingdom |
| Vietnam | 23,347 | 32,429 | Vietnamese in the United Kingdom |
| Malta | 30,178 | 31,758 | Maltese in the United Kingdom |
| Zambia | 21,529 | 30,897 | Zambians in the United Kingdom |
| Belgium | 21,668 | 29,142 | Belgians in the United Kingdom |
| Colombia | 12,331 | 27,691 | Colombians in the United Kingdom |
| Algeria | 10,670 | 26,826 | Algerians in the United Kingdom |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 21,283 | 25,364 | Trinidadians in the United Kingdom |
| Sierra Leone | 17,048 | 25,281 | Sierra Leoneans in the United Kingdom |
| Denmark | 18,695 | 24,972 | Danes in the United Kingdom |
| Morocco | 12,348 | 23,519 | Moroccans in the United Kingdom |
| Guyana | 20,872 | 23,458 | Guyanese in the United Kingdom |
| Ukraine | 11,913 | 23,414 | Ukrainians in the United Kingdom |
| Austria | 19,503 | 21,698 | Austrians in the United Kingdom |
| Switzerland | 16,010 | 21,458 | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 8,569 | 20,971 | Congolese in the United Kingdom |
| Barbados | 21,601 | 20,271 | Barbadians in the United Kingdom |
| Sudan | 10,671 | 19,758 | Sudanese in the United Kingdom |
| Israel | 11,892 | 19,608 | Israelis in the United Kingdom |
| Yemen | 12,508 | 19,405 | Yemenis in the United Kingdom |
| Eritrea | 6,561 | 19,031 | Eritreans in the United Kingdom |
| North Korea | 22 | 18,697 | |
| Norway | 13,798 | 18,236 | |
| Malawi | 12,340 | 17,871 | |
| Libya | 9,141 | 17,684 | |
| Lebanon | 10,459 | 17,128 | Lebanese in the United Kingdom |
| Ethiopia | 7,775 | 16,654 | Ethiopians in the United Kingdom |
| Angola | 5,914 | 15,712 | |
| Albania | 2,314 | 14,688 | Albanians in the United Kingdom |
| Finland | 11,322 | 14,325 | |
| Kuwait | 5,882 | 14,054 | |
| Burma (or Myanmar) | 9,924 | 13,064 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 5,406 | 12,314 | Emiratis in the United Kingdom |
| Gambia | 3,924 | 12,194 | |
| Gibraltar | 11,830 | 11,955 | Gibraltarians in the United Kingdom |
| Argentina | 6,796 | 11,339 | |
| Cameroon | 3,233 | 11,009 | |
| Mexico | 5,049 | 10,502 | Mexicans in the United Kingdom |
| Indonesia | 6,711 | 10,344 | Indonesians in the United Kingdom |
| Grenada | 9,783 | 10,009 | Grenadians in the United Kingdom |
| Syria | 4,168 | 9,950 | Syrians in the United Kingdom |
| Saint Lucia | 8,265 | 9,836 | |
| Venezuela | 3,996 | 9,834 | |
| Congo | 3,266 | 9,561 | |
| Ecuador | 3,035 | 9,422 | Ecuadorians in the United Kingdom |
| Estonia | 2,005 | 9,361 | |
| Croatia | 6,992 | 9,029 | |
| Serbia | 31,244 (including Kosovo) | 9,008 | Serbs in the United Kingdom |
| Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) | 2,794 | 8,535 | Ivoirians in the United Kingdom |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 6,692 | 8,469 | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7,091 | 8,008 | |
| Montserrat | 7,983 | 7,828 | Montserratians in the United Kingdom |
| Peru | 4,066 | 7,787 | Peruvians in the United Kingdom |
| Chile | 5,131 | 7,673 | Chileans in the United Kingdom |
| Dominica | 6,739 | 6,851 | |
| South Korea | 12,310 | 6,767 | British Koreans |
| Fiji | 3,464 | 6,754 | Fijians in the United Kingdom |
| Tunisia | 3,070 | 6,606 | |
| Mozambique | 3,353 | 6,368 | Mozambicans in the United Kingdom |
| Jordan | 3,115 | 6,321 | |
| Bahrain | 4,185 | 6,261 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6,519 | 6,067 | |
| Brunei | 2,782 | 5,731 | |
| Kazakhstan | 871 | 5,432 | |
| Burundi | 2,022 | 4,820 | |
| Rwanda | 2,373 | 4,781 | |
| Belarus | 1,154 | 4,734 | Belarusians in the United Kingdom |
| Bermuda | 2,986 | 4,602 | |
| Bolivia | 1,143 | 4,046 | Bolivians in the United Kingdom |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 3,891 | 3,995 | Antiguans in the United Kingdom |
| Seychelles | 2,905 | 3,878 | |
| Liberia | 1,583 | 3,844 | |
| Botswana | 2,051 | 3,513 | |
| Oman | 2,024 | 3,432 | |
| Moldova | 455 | 3,417 | |
| Georgia | 551 | 3,388 | Georgians in the United Kingdom |
| North Macedonia | 1,285 | 3,170 | Macedonians in the United Kingdom |
| Azerbaijan | 561 | 3,126 | Azerbaijanis in the United Kingdom |
| Saint Helena | 2,355 | 2,917 | |
| Uzbekistan | 521 | 2,864 | |
| Qatar | 1,062 | 2,706 | |
| Cuba | 1,083 | 2,665 | |
| Namibia | 1,230 | 2,649 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 381 | 2,572 | |
| Guinea | 265 | 2,529 | |
| Slovenia | 1,228 | 2,298 | |
| Iceland | 1,552 | 2,225 | |
| Senegal | 723 | 2,135 | |
| Luxembourg | 1,222 | 2,092 | |
| Bahamas | 1,797 | 2,071 | |
| East Timor | 1 | 2,008 | Timorese in Northern Ireland |
| Mongolia | 293 | 1,821 | Mongolians in the United Kingdom |
| Armenia | 589 | 1,790 | Armenians in the United Kingdom |
| Togo | 553 | 1,743 | |
| Swaziland | 863 | 1,596 | |
| Dominican Republic | 523 | 1,485 | |
| Uruguay | 963 | 1,472 | |
| Belize | 1,233 | 1,452 | |
| Cambodia | 706 | 1,304 | |
| Cape Verde | N/A | 1,279 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1,057 | 1,199 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 133 | 1,132 | |
| Madagascar | 789 | 1,121 | |
| Guatemala | 499 | 1,049 | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 102 | 1,028 | |
| Falkland Islands | 1,044 | 968 | |
| El Salvador | 595 | 948 | |
| Cayman Islands | 369 | 914 | |
| Lesotho | 331 | 851 | |
| Paraguay | 493 | 816 | |
| Turkmenistan | 99 | 784 | |
| Costa Rica | 370 | 777 | |
| Panama | 492 | 769 | |
| Laos | 464 | 716 | |
| Honduras | 420 | 683 | |
| Benin | 239 | 678 | |
| Aruba | 0 | 678 | |
| Anguilla | 498 | 583 | |
| Djibouti | 237 | 486 | |
| Suriname | 264 | 476 | |
| Bhutan | 86 | 463 | |
| Tajikistan | 101 | 455 | |
| Monaco | 225 | 430 | |
| Mali | 121 | 411 | |
| Nicaragua | 223 | 406 | |
| Maldives | 200 | 402 | |
| Gabon | 135 | 393 | |
| Chad | 183 | 371 | |
| Solomon Islands | 309 | 364 | |
| Haiti | 164 | 340 | |
| Equatorial Guinea | 51 | 312 | |
| Tonga | 143 | 298 | |
| British Virgin Islands | 163 | 292 | |
| Burkina Faso | 99 | 237 | |
| Samoa | 125 | 233 | |
| Mauritania | 28 | 233 | |
| Niger | 96 | 217 | |
| Kiribati | 179 | 182 | |
| Central African Republic | 312 | 171 | |
| Vanuatu | 135 | 168 | |
| Comoros | 62 | 154 | |
| United States Virgin Islands | 124 | 134 | |
| Andorra | 35 | 63 | |
| Liechtenstein | 23 | 31 | |
| Nauru | 14 | 30 | |
| Taiwan | 6,588 | N/A | |
| West Bank (Palestinian territories) | 2,483 | N/A | |
| Macau | 1,490 | N/A | |
| Netherlands Antilles | 1,151 | N/A | |
| Puerto Rico | 306 | N/A | |
| Guam | 61 | N/A | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 56 | N/A | |
| Cook Islands | 37 | N/A | |
| American Samoa | 30 | N/A | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 19 | N/A | |
| Tuvalu | 10 | N/A | |
| San Marino | 9 | N/A | |
| Norfolk Island | 4 | N/A | |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | 3 | N/A | |
| Niue | 3 | N/A | |
| Pitcairn Islands | 3 | N/A | |
| Palau | 3 | N/A | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 0 | N/A | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 0 | N/A | |
| Tokelau | 0 | N/A | |
| Vatican City | 0 | N/A | |

## Institute for Public Policy Research analysis

In 2005 the Institute for Public Policy Research published an analysis of data from the 2001 Census, revealing the number of people included in the census who were born outside the British Isles, where they lived, and comparing this information against the 1991 Census. The results were made available on the BBC website. Note that this data refers to Great Britain only, rather than the whole of the UK, because of the lack of digital boundaries in the census data for Northern Ireland.