Britain has seen high immigration in recent years from economic migrants and those who arrive via irregular crossings in small boats – a hot political topic because of stretched public services after years of under-investment.
Record immigration caused the population of England and Wales to rise by 610,000 in mid-2023, the largest annual rise in 75 years. Net migration to Britain in 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, was 329,000.
The population grew faster in England and in Wales, both seeing a 1% rise, when compared to Scotland with 0.8% growth or Northern Ireland which posted a 0.5% increase, the ONS said on Tuesday.
While post-Brexit changes to visas saw a sharp drop in the number of European Union migrants to Britain, new work visa rules led to a surge in immigration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, often to fill health and social care vacancies.