2014 12 19_migrants in the uk-overview_migration_obsrvatory

Migrants in the UK: An Overview
www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk
AUTHOR: DR CINZIA RIENZO
DR CARLOS VARGAS-SILVA
PUBLISHED: 19/12/2014
NEXT UPDATE: 19/12/2015
4th Revision
BRIEFING

BRIEFING: Migrants in the UK: An Overview
THE MIGRATION OBSERVATORY | WWW.MIGRATIONOBSERVATORY.OX.AC.UK PAGE 2
Key Points
Between 1993 and 2013 the foreign-born population in the UK more than doubled from 3.8 million to
around 7.8 million. During the same period, the number of foreign citizens increased from nearly 2 million
to nearly 5 million.
London has the greatest number of migrants (2.8 million foreign-born people in 2013) among all regions
with comparable data in the UK.
In 2013, the UK population was 12.5% foreign-born (up from 7% in 1993) and 7.9% foreign citizens (up
from 4% in 1993).
Foreign-born people constituted 37% of Inner London’s population in 2013 (the highest share among all
regions with comparable data).
India is the most common country of birth among the foreign-born, but Poland tops the list of foreign
citizens in the UK.
This briefing provides an overview of the number, population share, geographic
distribution and nationalities of migrants in the UK.
Understanding the evidence
This briefing defines the migrant population as the foreign-born population in the UK. Wherever relevant and
indicated, the briefing also provides figures for foreign citizens residing in the UK, as well as for recent migrants
– defined as foreign-born people who have been living in the UK for five years or less. Definitions have a
significant impact on the analysis of the number of migrants in the UK and there is significant overlap between
those who belong to the foreign-born group and those who belong to the foreign citizens group.
The briefing includes all migrants, irrespective of their age and employment status. All data in this briefing are
taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) using the fourth quarter of each year.

The stock of the migrant population more than doubled from 1993 to 2013
The size of the foreign-born population in the UK increased from about 3.8 million in 1993 to over 7.9 million in
2013 (see Figure 1). During the same period the number of foreign citizens increased from nearly 2 million to nearly
5 million.
The number of foreign-
born people in the UK
increased in almost
every year, although
there were slight
decreases in 1996,
2007 and 2010,
while the number
of foreign-born
increased again from
2011 (fourth quarter
data). Over the whole
time period analysed
(1993 to 2013)
the highest growth
in the foreign-born
population occurred
between 2005 and
2006, with the stock
of migrants increasing
by about 900,000 (15%). This period coincides with the significant inflow of East European migrants following EU
enlargement in 2004.
Although the numbers of both female and male migrants have increased over time, women have constituted the
majority of the UK’s migrant population stock since at least 1993. In 2013, 54% of the foreign-born population
were women.
London has the largest number of migrants among all regions of the UK
Table 1 presents the distribution of the
foreign-born population across England’s
government office regions (GORs),
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. There
is significant variation in the geographic
distribution of migrants in the UK. In
2013, about half of the UK’s foreign-born
population were in London (36.2%) and the
South East (13.7%). Northern Ireland, the
North East and Wales have a low share of
the UK’s total foreign-born population, 1.5%,
1.8% and 2.0% respectively. In comparison,
the UK-born population is more evenly
distributed. In 2013, only 7.9% of the whole
UK-born population lived in London.
Foreign-born population in the UK, 1993-2013
Chart provided by www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk
Men Women
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
0
1000000
2000000
3000000
4000000
5000000
6000000
7000000
8000000
Number of Migrants
Source : Labour Force Survey. Quarter 4
Figure 1
Region 2013
London 36.2%
South East 13.73%
East 7.92%
North West 7.32%
West Midlands 7.74%
East Midlands 5.91%
Yorkshire & the Humber 6.22%
South West 5.31%
Scotland 4.42%
Wales 2.0%
North East 1.8%
Northern Ireland 1.5%
Table 1 - Distribution of foreign-born population, 2013

Table 2 shows the number of foreign-born people in different UK regions over time. The LFS provides information at
the regional level for 20 regions (see Table 2), as defined by the UK Office for National Statistics.
In 2013 about 1.2 million foreign-born people were living in Inner London and nearly 1.6 million were living in Outer
London. The smallest number of foreign-born individuals was found in the ‘Rest of North East’ region of England. The
largest percentage increases during the 1995 and 2013 periods occurred in Tyne and Wear, Rest of Scotland and
East Midlands. This is not surprising given the small number of migrants these regions had in 1995. Between 1995
and 2013 Rest of North East and Rest of West Midlands experienced the lowest percentage increase in the number
of migrants (up 65%). South Yorkshire and Rest of North East experienced a much larger increase in the migrant
population (127 and 124% respectively).
Table 2 - Number of foreign-born by region
The UK population was 12.5% foreign-born and 8% non-British citizen in 2013
The share of foreign-born people in the UK’s total population increased by over 50% between 1993 and 2013, i.e.
from 7 to nearly 12.5% (see Figure 2). During the same period, the share of foreign citizens rose from 3.6 to 7.9%,
while that of recent migrants increased from 1.4 to 3.2%. There was a significant percentage increase in the share
of foreign-born people in the UK’s total population during the 2004-2008 period.
Source: Labour Force Survey, Q4
Region 1995 2000 2005 2009 2013
1995-2013
% change
Tyne and Wear 24,422 30,838 49,640 70,870 75,666 210%
Rest of North East 29,469 33,399 37,765 57,955 66,072 124%
Greater Manchester 165,990 141,808 215,707 296,982 333,992 101%
Merseyside 34,696 30,025 61,184 55,401 70,755 104%
Rest of North West 102,607 104,538 134,609 165,536 169,369 65%
South Yorkshire 49,156 37,228 63,364 85,717 111,557 127%
West Yorkshire 140,064 153,822 196,834 209,174 279,192 99%
Rest of Yorkshire & Humberside 56,247 44,805 63,766 97,269 97,226 73%
East Midlands 202,744 193,857 286,317 365,375 463,362 129%
West Midlands Metropolitan County 261,892 285,397 325,933 392,264 450,950 72%
Rest of West Midlands 94,405 85,792 93,760 155,675 156,059 65%
East of England 308,707 346,073 457,406 568,777 621,145 101%
Inner London 815,991 963,874 1,186,956 1,165,098 1,220,028 50%
Outer London 827,593 1,021,995 1,158,511 1,451,702 1,619,441 96%
South East 513,862 597,303 720,505 903,033 1,076,988 110%
South West 210,170 214,237 276,352 342,533 416,309 98%
Wales 80,399 84,034 107,396 136,792 155,141 93%
Strathclyde 59,781 65,494 87,147 123,121 121,600 103%
Rest of Scotland 97,460 109,905 141,258 207,845 224,984 131%
Northern Ireland 53,083 80,925 70,376 101,051 114,920 116%
Total 4,128,738 4,625,349 5,734,786 6,952,170 7,844,756 90%

Figure 2
The share of migrants in the population varies significantly across regions but has been
increasing in all regions over time
The share of migrants in the population varies significantly across regions (see Figure 3). In 2013 the number of
foreign-born people relative to total population was greatest in Inner London (37%) and Outer London (33%).
The region with the third highest proportion of migrants was West Midlands Metropolitan County where 17% of
the population was foreign-born. ‘Rest of North East’ was home to the population with the smallest proportion of
foreign-born people. While the concentration of foreign-born individuals varies across the UK, since 1995 the share
of foreign-born people in the UK population has increased in every region.
Figure 3
Share of foreign-born in the population by region, 1995-2013
1995 2000 2005 2009 2013
T
yne
&
W
ear
Rest
of
N
.East
G
reater
M
anchester
M
erseyside
Rest
of
N
.W
est
S.Yorkshire
W
.Yorkshire
Rest
of
Yorkshire
&
Hum
.
E.M
idlands
W
.M
idlands
M
et.County
Rest
of
W
.M
idlands
E.England
Inner
London
O
uter
London
South
East
South
W
est
W
ales
Strathclyde
Rest
of
Scotland
N
.Ireland
Region
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
% of the population
Source : Labour Force Survey. Q4
Share of migrants in the population, 1993-2013
Foreign born Foreign citizen
Recent
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
Year
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14%
Share of migrants in the population, 1993-2013
Foreign born Foreign citizen
Recent
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
Year
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
%
Share of foreign-born in the population by region, 1995-2013
1995 2000 2005 2009 2013
T
yne
&
W
ear
Rest
of
N
.East
G
reater
M
anchester
M
erseyside
Rest
of
N
.W
est
S.Yorkshire
W
.Yorkshire
Rest
of
Yorkshire
&
Hum
.
E.M
idlands
W
.M
idlands
M
et.County
Rest
of
W
.M
idlands
E.England
Inner
London
O
uter
London
South
East
South
W
est
W
ales
Strathclyde
Rest
of
Scotland
N
.Ireland
Region
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
% of the population

Inner and Outer London also remain the areas with the highest share of migrants in the total population when
focusing on foreign citizens (see Figure 4). Foreign citizens made up 22 and 20% of the population respectively in
Inner and Outer London.
The share of recent migrants in the population varies from 0.7% in the ‘Rest of North East’ to 8.7% in Outer London
and 6.6% in Inner London.
Figure 4
India is the most common country of birth among the foreign-born, but Poland tops list of
foreign citizens in the UK
India, Poland, and Pakistan are the top three countries of birth for the foreign-born (Table 3) accounting respectively
for 9.4, 8.7 and 6.4% of the total, followed by Ireland and Germany. India and Poland remain the top two countries
of citizenship of foreign citizens, with Poles being the biggest group, accounting for about 13% of the total.
Table 3 - Top ten sender countries of migrants by country of birth and nationality, UK 2013
Share of migrants in the population by region, 2013
Foreign-born Foreign citizen
Recent
T
yne
&
W
ear
Rest
of
N
.East
G
reater
M
anchester
M
erseyside
Rest
of
N
.W
est
S.Yorkshire
W
.Yorkshire
Rest
of
Yorkshire
&
Hum
.
E.M
idlands
W
.M
idlands
M
et.County
Rest
of
W
.M
idlands
E.England
Inner
London
O
uter
London
South
East
South
W
est
W
ales
Strathclyde
Rest
of
Scotland
N
.Ireland
Region
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
% of the population
Country of birth Percentage share Nationality Percentage share
INDIA 9.4 POLAND 13.0
POLAND 8.7 INDIA 7.1
PAKISTAN 6.4 IRELAND 6.5
IRELAND 5.1 PAKISTAN 3.8
GERMANY 4.0 ROMANIA 3.0
SOUTH AFRICA 2.6 ITALY 2.8
UNITED STATES 2.5 LITHUANIA 2.8
NIGERIA 2.4 UNITED STATES 2.7
BANGLADESH 2.3 GERMANY 2.4
SRI LANKA 2.1 FRANCE 2.2

Those born in India constitute the biggest group among the foreign-born population in
London
India is the country of birth for 8.6% of all foreign-born persons living in London (Figure 5). Other Asian countries
such as Pakistan (4.3%), Bangladesh (3.7%), and Sri Lanka (2.7%) are also in the top-ten countries of birth of
migrants in London. Poland, Ireland, Italy and Romania are the four European countries in the top ten. With the
exception of Italy, Romania and and Jamaica, the remaining top-ten countries of birth for migrants in London are
also top-ten countries at the UK level.
Figure 5
Evidence gaps and limitations
The LFS is a continuous survey of around 60,000 households each quarter. Although the LFS contains spatial
information at a regional level, the standard release of LFS data set does not contain local authority identifiers. It is
therefore not possible to use the standard LFS to analyse trends and characteristics of migration across local areas.
The Annual Population Survey (APS) available since 2004 is more suitable for this purpose.
The LFS has some limitations for estimating the dynamics of migrants in the UK. First, it does not measure the scale
of irregular migration. Second, it does not provide information on asylum seekers. Third, the LFS excludes those who
do not live in households, such as those in hotels, caravan parks and other communal establishments. The LFS is
therefore likely to underestimate the UK population of recent migrants.
Further reading
• Salt, J. “International Migration and the United Kingdom, 2010.” Report of the United Kingdom SOPEMI
correspondent to the OECD, Migration Research Unit, University College London, 2011.
With thanks to Martin Ruhs and George Leeson for comments and suggestions in an earlier version of this
briefing.
Top 10 countries of birth of migrants in London, 2013
London migrant population
India
Poland
Pakistan
Bangladesh
SriLanka
Ireland
N
igeria
Italy
Rom
ania
Jam
aica
Country of birth
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
% of population

The Migration Observatory
Based at the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the
University of Oxford, the Migration Observatory provides independent,
authoritative, evidence-based analysis of data on migration and
migrants in the UK, to inform media, public and policy debates, and to
generate high quality research on international migration and public
policy issues. The Observatory’s analysis involves experts from a wide
range of disciplines and departments at the University of Oxford.
About the authors
Dr Cinzia Rienzo
Research Fellow, NIESR
c.rienzo@niesr.ac.uk
COMPAS
The Migration Observatory is based at the ESRC Centre on Migration,
Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford. The mission
of COMPAS is to conduct high quality research in order to develop
theory and knowledge, inform policy-making and public debate, and
engage users of research within the field of migration.
www.compas.ox.ac.uk
Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva
Senior Researcher, COMPAS
carlos.vargas-silva@compas.ox.ac.uk
Recommended citation
Rienzo, Cinzia and Carlos Vargas-Silva. “Migrants in the UK: An Overview,” Migration Observatory briefing,
COMPAS, University of Oxford, December 2014.
Press contact
Rob McNeil
Head of Media and Communications
robert.mcneil@compas.ox.ac.uk
+ 44 (0)1865 274568
+ 44 (0)7500 970081

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