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Migration is the movement of people. Available information covers migration into and out of the UK, migration within the UK and related matters such as immigration control, asylum, and population by nationality and country of birth.

Publications

Get Britain Working Measures
Department: Work and Pensions
This publication covers statistics on the following Get Britain Working Measures: work experience, New Enterprise Allowance and sector-based work academies.
International Migration
Department: Office for National Statistics
The MN Series present statistics on flows of international migrants to and from the UK and England and Wales.
Local Area Migration Reports
Department: National Records of Scotland
Migration reports covering migration data for councils across Scotland
Migration Statistics
Department: Office for National Statistics
Annual report presenting and analysing UK migration data for the calendar year. This is a cross-government product.
Migration Statistics Quarterly Report
Department: Office for National Statistics
Quarterly summary of migration trends, including links to new data from ONS, DWP, the Home Office and NRS. Data associated with this report include; provisional Long-Term International Migration (LTIM) and provisional International Passenger Survey (IPS) estimates of long term international migration, National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals and control of immigration data. Other data released alongside the report include; population by country of birth and nationality and interregional migration.
Total Migration To Or From An Area
Department: National Records of Scotland
Migration Data

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Overview

Migration Statistics Quarterly Reports (MSQRs) are produced jointly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). They summarise and provide links to the following quarterly datasets:

  • Provisional estimates of long-term international migration, UK

  • Local area migration indicators, UK

  • Population by country of birth and nationality from the Annual Population Survey, UK

  • Internal migration within the UK

  • Control of immigration: quarterly statistical summary, UK

  • National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals, UK

The MSQR is published each February, May, August and November. The latest edition is available via the link under 'Other reports'.

Annual releases include:

  • ONS's final long-term international migration estimates

  • ONS's internal migration by local authorities in England and Wales, mid-year to mid-year

  • Home Office data on people granted British citizenship and on UK visa applications

ONS also publishes data on short-term migration.

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Technical Data

Further information on different aspects of migration is available via the related topics links at the top right of this page.

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Glossary

  • Annual Population Survey (APS)

    The Annual Population Survey (APS) is a combined survey of households in Great Britain, sampling approximately 375,000 people. 

  • International Passenger Survey (IPS)

    The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a survey of a random sample of passengers entering and leaving the UK by air, sea or the Channel Tunnel. Over a quarter of a million face-to-face interviews are carried out each year.

  • Long-term migration

    The Office for National Statistics long-term migration statistics use the United Nations (UN) definition that a long-term international migrant is someone who moves from their country of usual residence for a period of at least a year, so that the country of destination effectively becomes their new country of usual residence.

  • Short-term migration

    The Office for National Statistics publishes statistics on two measures of short-term migration: 1) people who move to a country other than that of their usual residence for a period of 3 to 12 months, for the purpose of work or study (this is the UN definition of a short-term migrant); and 2) people moving to another country for a period of between 1 and 12 months. This measure covers people who move for any reason, including tourism.

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Contact Details

For statistical enquiries about this topic, please contact:

Migration Statistics Unit

Email: migstatsunit@ons.gsi.gov.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 1329 444097

Office for National Statistics Segensworth Road Fareham PO15 5RR

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