The Office for National Statistics published its quarterly migration statistics on 1 September 2026. The headline estimate puts net migration at 431,000 for the year to June 2026. That compares with a revised estimate of 860,000 for the year to June 2023.
Net migration is immigration minus emigration. The figure measures a flow, not a stock of people living in the UK.
What is driving the fall
ONS says the decline is driven primarily by a reduction in student-related arrivals. Changes to the rules on student dependants, introduced in January 2024, reduced the number of people who could accompany international students. The number of study visas granted fell sharply through 2024 and 2025.
Emigration has also increased, in part because shorter-term workers and students who arrived during the post-pandemic surge are now leaving.
What the figures do not show
The estimates are based on the International Passenger Survey, visa and immigration administrative data, and other sources. ONS publishes confidence intervals alongside the headline number. The figures are not a comprehensive count of everyone entering or leaving the UK.
The data cover legal entry routes. They do not capture every undocumented or irregular movement.
What readers should check
The ONS publication includes breakdowns by reason for migration, nationality group and visa route. Journalists and policymakers drawing specific claims from these figures should refer to the underlying data tables and confidence intervals before publication.
For individual immigration cases, the relevant rules are those set out by the Home Office, not the statistical release.
Primary record