Net migration to UK falls by nearly 50% after Labour’s vow to cut numbers

Key points

• Net migration to the UK fell by nearly 50% to 171,000 last year, according to official figures released on Thursday, in what will be seen as a boost for Keir Starmer’s government.
• Data released by the Office for Statistics (ONS) showed the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number of people leaving was at its lowest level since 2021. The figure was down 48% year on year from 331,000 in 2024, extending a sharp decline from a record peak of 944,000 in 2023. The figures will encourage government ministers who have promised to drive down the number of people moving to the UK.
• Migration has become a key political battleground against the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
• The number of nationals from outside the EU arriving for work-related reasons fell by 47% in 2025, which was the main cause of the continued fall...