ONS Publishes Latest Immigration Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently released its latest Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, which gives estimates of long-term international migration to and from the UK up to December 2015.
At the same time, it published its Short Term International Migration (STIM) release, which gives estimates of short-term migration in the year ending (YE) June 2014.
The key findings of the reports include:
- Net UK long-term international migration (someone who changes their country of usual residence for 12 months or more) in the year ending December 2015 was estimated to be 333,000, up 20,000 from YE December 2014
- In 2014 13%, or 8.3 million, of the UK resident population were born outside the UK. This has risen from 9%, or 5.3 million, in 2004
The STIM estimates published by the ONS for England and Wales are provided on the basis of three definitions of a short-term migrant:
- The United Nations (UN) definition of a short-term migrant, which is three to 12 months for the purposes of work or study
- Three to 12 months covering all reasons for migration
- One to 12 months covering all reasons for migration
The latest STIM estimates show that in YE June 2014:
- Using the UN definition there were 165,000 short-term immigrants, an increase of 43,000 compared with YE June 2013.
- Short-term immigration for three to 12 months, for all reasons stood at 317,000, up 87,000 from YE June 2013. Short-term emigration of three to 12 months for all reasons was 399,000 compared with 384,000 in YE June 2013
- Short-term immigration of one to 12 months for all reasons was 1.2 million, an increase of 110,000 visits compared with the previous year. Short-term emigration of one to 12 months for all reasons was 2.4 million, similar to YE June 2013
- 73% of one to 12 month short-term immigrants leave within three months and all leave within 12 months. Of all the short-term migrants coming for one to 12 months, 62% (719,000) were for the reason ‘other’, which includes visiting family or friends and holidays.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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