UK Net Migration for 2024 Revised Downward by Twenty Percent, ONS Reports

Net migration to the United Kingdom in 2024 was significantly lower than earlier estimates suggested, according to newly revised figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The updated data shows that net migration stood at three hundred and forty five thousand last year, which is eighty six thousand fewer than previously thought.

Net migration is calculated by subtracting the number of people leaving the country from those arriving. The main factor behind the downward revision is a reassessment of how many British nationals emigrated in 2024. The ONS now believes that far more UK citizens left the country than initially recorded, with around one hundred thousand fewer British nationals still living in the UK compared with earlier estimates.

The new report also reveals that migration in earlier years was higher than previously thought. Between April 2022 and March 2023 the UK population increased by an estimated nine hundred and forty four thousand due to migration. Earlier estimates suggested the figure was nine hundred and six thousand by June 2023. The updated numbers reflect more complete data on both arrivals and departures.

Discussion around the migration peak has become a sensitive political issue. When asked about the record levels reached under former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the party acted quickly once the scale of migration became clear. She said several measures were introduced to reduce the numbers and reaffirmed that the government recognised that immigration had risen too high.

Badenoch argued that administrative failures contributed to the increase. She said that too much responsibility had been left to bureaucratic systems to manage border controls and that this was not what voters had expected when they supported leaving the European Union. She added that the government is committed to restoring greater control over migration and ensuring that policy changes reflect public expectations.

Analysts note that the revised ONS figures provide a clearer picture of recent migration trends, including the impact of international events, labour market demands and changes in visa policies. They say the adjustments highlight how population movement can be difficult to measure in real time and often requires updated information from travel records, surveys and administrative sources.

The figures come ahead of next week’s budget and are likely to influence national debate on labour shortages, public services and long term economic planning. While net migration remains high in historical terms, the revised data indicates that the overall trend is lower than initial estimates suggested.