Brits Are Leaving in Record Numbers — While Non-EU Arrivals Continue to Surge
New ONS figures reveal a far bigger outflow of British citizens than previously reported
The latest update from the Office for National Statistics shows something significant: 257,000 British nationals left the UK in 2024, the highest calendar-year figure on record.
For years, the migration debate has focused on how many people are arriving. The revised data now shows the other side of the equation matters just as much — and has been understated for a long time.
🚶♂️🚶♀️ British Emigration Has Been Recalculated — And It’s Much Higher
After improving its methods, the ONS now estimates that around 257,000 British nationals left the UK in 2024 — up from the earlier figure of 77,000. As a result, net migration for British nationals in 2024 is now sharply negative at –114,000 (compared with –17,000 in the previous data).
If we look at the last four years, the ONS has revised the total number of Brits leaving the UK from 343,000 to 992,000 — an increase of 649,000. The number of Brits coming into the country has also been revised up.
Taken together, the net position over those four years has shifted from 26,000 fewer Brits to 368,000 fewer Brits — a revision of 342,000.
In simple terms, the old method was missing a very large share of both people leaving and arriving, and the new system gives a much clearer picture of British emigration.
🔧 Why the Method Has Changed
For many years, the UK estimated migration using the International Passenger Survey — a sample of travellers approached at airports and asked about their plans. But surveys have become less reliable over time. Fewer people are willing to stop and take part, and intentions don’t always match what people actually do.
The new system replaces this with real administrative data. For British nationals, the ONS now uses tax, benefits and local authority records to see whether someone is genuinely living in the UK. For EU and non-EU nationals, it uses actual Home Office entry and exit information.
It’s a more modern, behaviour-based approach — and it should produce far more accurate migration estimates going forward.
🔄 Understanding the Flow: Departures and Replacements
Some of the people who emigrated in the last four years may have since returned — migration flows move in both directions. But the overall pattern is clear: a record number of British citizens are leaving, and those departures are being more than replaced by arrivals from outside the EU.
EU nationals remain a net outflow group, while non-EU migration continues at historically high levels. The UK’s population is not only growing but changing in composition more quickly than before, driven mainly by non-EU arrivals replacing departing British and EU citizens — and adding pressure to an already stretched population.
💼 Why Wealth Emigration Matters
When analysing emigration, one group carries particular economic weight: high-earning and high-wealth individuals, regardless of nationality. This isn’t about valuing people differently — it’s about understanding economic impact. Wealthier individuals contribute disproportionately to income tax, investment, business formation and specialist financial services. When they leave, those contributions leave with them.
💷 What We Know About 2024
Although the ONS doesn’t reveal the wealth or income profile of emigrants, private wealth intelligence firms do provide some insight. According to New World Wealth (via Henley & Partners), the UK saw a projected net outflow of 9,500 millionaires in 2024.
This includes:
British millionaires leaving
Non-British millionaires who have been living in the UK and have now relocated
These figures are based on private datasets rather than official ONS sources, so they should be treated with some caution. But they align with the wider trajectory: a noticeable share of those leaving the UK in recent years have been high-earning individuals, investors and entrepreneurs.
🔑 Why Some High-Earners Are Leaving
Alongside the Henley analysis, two consistent pressures are now regularly cited by entrepreneurs, investors and internationally mobile professionals:
UK tax and regulatory policies, including changes to the non-dom regime, high capital gains tax, and more complex rules for investment and business ownership
High energy costs and expensive business conditions, which make the UK a less attractive place to run or scale companies compared with global alternatives
These pressures affect both British and non-British high-wealth residents and help explain why the UK’s wealth outflow has accelerated.
📈 2025: Signs the Trend Is Strengthening
Henley’s projections for 2025 suggest the outflow of wealthy individuals could rise again, with an estimated 16,500 millionaires expected to leave this year — potentially the largest wealth outflow worldwide.
These projections cover all wealthy residents, not just British nationals. But taken alongside the official ONS figures showing record levels of British emigration, the economic signal is clear: more people are leaving the UK, and a notable share of those departures involve individuals with above-average economic weight.
🗒️ A Final Thought on the ONS Figures
I’ve already been asked whether the ONS is “just making the numbers up”, but this is a genuine and necessary improvement. Surveys are becoming outdated — fewer people want to respond, and with large, complex international movements, relying on someone’s stated intentions at an airport doesn’t stack up anymore.
Administrative data has its own challenges, but it reflects real behaviour and gives us a much clearer picture than the old system ever could. In a world of rising global mobility, it’s right that the statistics modernise to match the scale and complexity of what’s happening.
⚠️ A Country at Risk of Pushing People Away
The clearer picture also exposes a deeper problem. A country with high taxes, high energy costs, and a government unwilling to tackle either issue will inevitably push more people away — and attract fewer of the innovators, entrepreneurs, and job creators it needs. The UK cannot afford to lose economically productive residents while making itself less appealing to those who could help rebuild growth.
Right now, this is the direction the Labour Government has chosen. And the emerging migration data shows the consequences: more people leaving, more high-value individuals relocating abroad, and fewer reasons for wealth, investment and talent to stay. It is a path that risks weakening the country at the very moment it needs the opposite.
✍️ Jamie Jenkins
Stats Jamie | Stats, Facts & Opinions
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