ONS to hold migration statistics forum on 10 December 2026

UK net migration fell to 171,000 in the year ending December 2025 — roughly half the 331,000 recorded in the year ending December 2024, the figures show. It’s against that backdrop that the ONS has announced a public forum on 10 December 2026, where users of migration statistics can question producers directly and discuss how the data is compiled and interpreted.

The event is being organised by the ONS in partnership with the UK Home Office and the Migration Observatory. Sessions will be interactive, with discussion focused on key themes in international migration statistics. Specific session times and registration deadlines had not been independently verified at the time of publication.

The drop in net migration was mainly linked, according to the ONS, to a reduction in non-EU+ arrivals for work-related reasons. Non-EU+ net migration stood at 350,000 in the year ending December 2025, compared with 511,000 the previous year.

British nationals leaving the UK also rose sharply. An estimated 246,000 British nationals emigrated in 2025, while 110,000 immigrated — compared with 140,000 who immigrated in 2024. So emigration among British nationals is running at more than double the rate of return.

The ONS cautions that its latest migration estimates are classified as official statistics in development and may be revised. Net migration is calculated by subtracting emigration from immigration, following the United Nations definition of a long-term migrant as someone moving to or from a country for at least 12 months.

Key information

• Forum date: 10 December 2026, organised by the ONS
• Partners: UK Home Office and Migration Observatory
• Registration: promoted via an ONS announcement — check the ONS website directly for details
• Data status: latest ONS migration estimates are provisional and subject to revision