UK net migration fell to an estimated 171,000 in the year ending December 2025, almost half the revised figure of 331,000 recorded a year earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The decline is even more striking compared with March 2023, when net migration reached a peak of 944,000.
But what does this mean for people living in Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford or London? While the national trend is clear, the figures vary considerably between local areas. Some continue to record thousands more international arrivals than departures, while others have seen the balance turn negative.
A national decline, but different local pictures
The latest detailed local authority figures cover the year ending June 2025, six months earlier than the national headline.
Across England, the ONS recorded 791,404 international arrivals and 581,370 departures, producing a net increase of 210,034 people. That compares with 596,215 in the previous year.
The decline was widespread. Net migration fell in 293 of England’s 296 local authorities, according to calculations based on ONS data.
However, the size of the remaining migration flows, and their significance relative to local populations, differs substantially.
Birmingham leads in numbers, Newham in proportion
Birmingham recorded the largest positive international migration balance of any English local authority.
During the year, 26,920 people arrived from overseas, while 17,217 left the UK. That produced a net increase of 9,703.
Newham, in east London, was not far behind, with 19,743 arrivals and 10,479 departures, leaving a positive balance of 9,264.
The difference becomes more interesting when population size is considered.
Birmingham has approximately 1.18 million residents, while Newham has around 379,000. As a result, Birmingham’s net migration amounted to 8.2 people per 1,000 residents, compared with 24.4 in Newham.
In other words, Newham experienced a net increase relative to its population roughly three times that of Birmingham. England’s overall rate was considerably lower, at 3.6 per 1,000 residents.
Leeds and Westminster show why departures matter
Looking only at the number of people arriving from abroad can give a misleading impression.
Leeds, for example, recorded 15,245 international arrivals. Yet 13,545 people also left for another country, leaving net migration of just 1,700.
Westminster offers an even more striking example. Despite welcoming 9,262 international arrivals, the central London borough recorded 9,551 departures. Its net international migration balance was therefore minus 289.
That does not necessarily mean Westminster’s overall population declined. Births, deaths and movement between different parts of the UK also influence population change.
For readers interested in their own area, a detailed breakdown of international migration by local authority allows comparisons of arrivals, departures and net migration across districts, both in absolute numbers and per 1,000 residents.
Smaller places can experience bigger relative changes
Oxford recorded 6,232 international arrivals and 5,030 departures, leaving a positive balance of 1,202.
Although its total number of arrivals was less than a quarter of Birmingham’s, Oxford’s immigration rate reached 37.1 per 1,000 residents, compared with Birmingham’s 22.8.
Welwyn Hatfield provides another example. The Hertfordshire district recorded 3,686 arrivals and 2,267 departures, producing net migration of 1,419.
With a starting population of around 123,000, that represents 11.5 people per 1,000 residents, higher than Birmingham’s net rate.
These comparisons help explain why the same national trend can look quite different across England. Nevertheless, a higher migration rate does not automatically mean greater pressure on housing, schools or local services. Such questions depend on wider factors, including available accommodation and existing infrastructure.
What the figures can and cannot tell us
The ONS defines long-term international migration as a change in a person’s country of usual residence for at least 12 months.
The figures include British citizens moving abroad or returning home, alongside people of other nationalities. They do not represent all border crossings, short-term visitors or the total number of foreign-born residents already living in an area.
It is also worth remembering that these are statistical estimates, which can be revised as new information becomes available.
Importantly, the national and local figures cover different periods. The latest UK estimate relates to December 2025, while the detailed English local authority comparisons relate to June 2025. They should not be treated as directly interchangeable.
The broader picture is one of sharply falling net migration. Yet behind a single national number are hundreds of communities experiencing different levels of arrivals, departures and population change.
For anyone wondering what is happening closer to home, both sides of the migration balance are worth examining.
Source: Office for National Statistics, long-term international migration estimates (May 2026) and England and Wales population estimates, mid-2025 (July 2026).
Feature image by mingche lee on Pexels
