What Are the Largest Migrant Communities in the UK?

The United Kingdom is home to a diverse range of cultures, thanks to the migrant communities who have settled there over the years.

According to The Migration Observatory, an estimated 14.5% of the UK’s population, equivalent to 9.6 million people, were born outside the UK as of 2022. Non-EU migrants constitute most of the foreign-born population: approximately 64%. They come from all over the world, forming an interesting tapestry of stories and traditions.

These are the largest migrant communities in the UK:

Indians

• Indians represent 9.3% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 896,000.
• There have been three major Indian migration waves to the UK:
  • Indian migration to the UK became relevant during the 1950s, driven by labor shortages in the UK and political changes in India.
  • The partition of India in 1947 led to further migration, with many Indians seeking better economic opportunities and stability.
  • In 1972, Idi Amin expelled a substantial number of Indians from Uganda and many settled in the UK.
• The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, launched in 2002, aimed to attract top talent through a points-based system, rewarding factors like education and work experience with higher scores. Indians have been the largest foreign group to benefit from this program.
• Indians are the second most economically prosperous among all migrant communities in the UK. A recent study revealed that Indians in Britain typically earn higher average incomes compared to their white British counterparts: £13.47 vs £12.03.
• The number of Indians applying for asylum in the UK has surged, surpassing 5,000 for the first time in 2023.
• Interestingly, Rishi Sunak made history in 2022 as the UK’s first prime minister of Indian origin. He is the son of Hindu parents of Indian Punjabi descent born in Africa

Polish

• Polish represent 7.1% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 682,000.
• There have been two main Polish migration waves to the UK:
  • After World War II ended, many Polish soldiers and refugees settled in Britain.
  • Another significant increase in Polish migration occurred after Poland joined the European Union in 2004, granting its citizens the right to live and work in the UK. The UK was one of the three countries that permitted immediate employment for new migrants from the EU, in contrast to France and Germany which imposed transitional restrictions to delay this privilege.
• Since the Brexit in 2016, there has been a noticeable trend of EU citizens returning to their home countries, a pattern that was amplified by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of Polish residents in the UK significantly declined, dropping from over a million in 2017 to 738,000 in 2020.
• Research conducted by Middlesex University, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Sheffield revealed that 28% of Polish essential workers reported experiencing workplace discrimination.
• Approximately 69% of Poland’s migrant communities are within the age range of 25-49, in contrast to around 34% of the entire UK population.

Pakistanis

• Pakistanis represent 4.7% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 456,000.
• Two key factors contributed to the migration of Pakistanis to Britain:
  • The partition of India in 1947, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan.
  • The construction of the Mangla Dam in Pakistan during the early 1960s. Approximately 100,000 people were displaced from the area surrounding the Mangla Dam, and while some received compensation in the form of land in Punjab, others were compensated with cash and resettled in the UK.
• A study conducted by The University of Essex revealed that British Pakistanis exhibit a stronger sense of identification with ‘Britishness’ compared to other British citizens. 90% of Pakistanis reported feeling a keen sense of belonging in Britain, surpassing the 84% reported by white Britons.
• In the past, the primary destinations for early Pakistani immigrants were the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and Lancashire, where they sought employment in the textiles industry. Additionally, they settled in Greater London and Luton, where opportunities in car production and food processing were available. Subsequently, the influx of Pakistanis has increasingly included qualified professionals such as doctors (many of whom found employment in the NHS), teachers, and engineers.
• Pakistani migrant communities face economic challenges: 58% of British Pakistanis live in poverty, compared to the UK average of 21%. Some 66% of Pakistani families are in the low-income bracket, more than any other ethnic group.

Irish

• Irish represent 4.3% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 412,000.
• There have been two notable waves of Irish emigration to the UK:
  • In the XIX century, the most significant influx of Irish migrants was driven by the potato famine crisis of the late 1840s. A disease infected the potato crop, which was the primary food source for a third of Ireland’s population, leading to its destruction. Between 1841 and 1861, the Irish-born population in England and Wales nearly doubled.
  • In the mid-1930s, due to restrictions on American immigration in the 1920s and Britain’s rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression, Britain became the primary destination for most Irish emigrants.
• Until the 1970s, the Irish were the largest immigrant group in the United Kingdom. Irish immigrants have decreased by around 20% in the last decade. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, this decline is part of a long-term trend that began in 1961 when the Irish-born population peaked at 683,000.
• According to the House of Commons Library, Irish nationals hold a distinct status under UK law. Essentially, Ireland is not regarded as a ‘foreign country’ under UK laws, and Irish citizens are not classified as ‘aliens’. Additionally, Irish citizens are considered to have permanent immigration permission to reside in the UK from the moment they establish ‘ordinary residence’ there.

Germans

• Germans represent 3.6% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 347,000.
• The most notable German arrivals in 20th-century Britain were Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Between 1933 and 1945, approximately 59,000 German nationals were granted asylum in Britain.
• This resulted in significant intellectual gain for Britain, as these exiled German scholars went on to produce over 16 Nobel Laureates, 70 Fellows of the Royal Society, and 35 Fellows of the British Academy.
• 61% of German citizens employed in the UK as part of migrant communities are engaged in “higher level professions.” Public administration, education, and health are the largest sectors employing German citizens in the UK, with an estimated 26,000 people (32% of German workers in the UK) working in these fields.
• It’s estimated that 92% of German citizens in the UK reside in England, 5% in Scotland, and the remaining percentage live in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Romanians

• Romanians represent 3.4% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 329,000.
• Romanians have become one of the fastest-growing migrant communities in the UK, especially after Romania joined the EU in 2007. The Romanian-born population increased almost 7-fold, from a little over 82,000 in 2011.
• Although Romania became a member of the European Union in 2007, restrictions on Romanian citizens’ right to work in the UK were not lifted until 2014.
• Romanians move to the UK primarily drawn by economic opportunities: Romania, is the second poorest EU country, and the UK is the world’s fifth largest economy.
• Between 3 and 5 million Romanians, out of a population of 19.6 million, live and work abroad. Of these expatriates, approximately 2.6 million are of working age, making up nearly one-fifth of Romania’s labor force. About one in ten of these migrants currently reside in the UK.

Nigerians

• Nigerians represent 3.2% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 312,000.
• Like many former British colonies, Nigeria has been a significant source of immigrants to the United Kingdom. There have been four major immigration waves:
  • Before Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, many Nigerians pursued their studies in the UK, with most returning to Nigeria after completing their education.
  • During the 1960s, civil and political unrest in Nigeria led to an influx of refugees and skilled workers migrating to Britain.
  • In the 1980s, following the collapse of the petroleum boom, there was a substantial increase in Nigerian emigration, which tended to be more permanent compared to the pre-independence wave of temporary migration.
  • Asylum applications from Nigerians peaked in 1995, at the height of the repression under the military dictatorship of Sani Abacha.
• According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of Nigerian nationals studying in the UK increased from 6,798 in 2017 to 59,053 by December 2022.
• Nigeria’s struggling economy is a major immigration factor. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation, leading to increased inflation, unemployment, and other economic challenges that have severely impacted the nation.
• Remittances to Nigeria are an important source of income for families, though they have been declining. Based on World Bank data, diaspora remittances amounted to USD 25 billion in 2018, equivalent to 6.1% of the GDP. This figure decreased to USD 23.81 billion in 2019 and further declined to USD 17.21 billion in 2020, representing 4% of the GDP.

South Africans

• South Africans represent 3.1% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 298,000.
• 551,520 South Africans have resettled in the UK, Australia, and Canada. The UK hosts the largest proportion of South African emigrants –298,000. This indicates a significant increase of 26%, or 50,700 individuals, since 2020.
• One of the main reasons South Africans migrate is the Energy Crisis –an ongoing period in which the country experiences widespread rolling blackouts as supply falls behind demand, threatening to destabilize the national grid. Companies across all industries have had to invest significant amounts in backup power utilities. However, this has failed to alleviate operational disruptions, resulting in subdued economic growth and increased unemployment.
• Another major reason for South African migration is the uncertainty surrounding the proposed changes outlined in the recently passed National Health Insurance bill. It proposes the establishment of a state fund to provide medical coverage for all South Africans, the majority of whom are currently uninsured, but it prohibits individuals from obtaining private health insurance for services covered by the fund. Hardworking healthcare professionals seek fair compensation for their services, and if they can migrate to a market with better pay, they will.

Italians

• Italians represent 2.9% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 280,000.
• There are three main waves of Italian migration:
  • The first wave began around 1880, about two decades after the Unification of Italy, and lasted until the early 1940s, ending with the rise of Fascist Italy. The primary driver for this emigration was poverty: from the 1860s to the 1950s, Italy remained a rural society.
  • The second wave of emigration began after World War II and lasted until the 1970s. Between 1880 and 1970, approximately 15 million Italians emigrated permanently. By 1980, it was estimated that around 25 million Italians were living outside Italy.
  • A third wave, referred to as “fuga di cervelli” (brain drain), is ongoing due to the socioeconomic issues caused by the early 21st-century financial crisis. According to the Public Register of Italian Residents Abroad (AIRE), over 5 million Italian citizens live outside Italy today, and around 80 million people worldwide claim full or partial Italian ancestry.
• In April 2023, the Prime Ministers from both countries signed a commitment to reduce migration to both Italy and the United Kingdom.
• Italian government data shows that the Italian community in Britain expanded by 60% between 2011 and 2017. More than half of this population resides in London.

Chinese

• Chinese represent 2.5% of the UK migrants, with an estimated population of 245,000.
• Significant modern migration from China began in the mid-1980s, aligning with the Chinese government’s easing of emigration restrictions (during World War II and the Chinese Communist Revolution, emigration controls that significantly restricted mobility were imposed).
• Manchester is home to the largest Chinese population, with 3.4%, followed by Birmingham (3.2%) and Barnet, Tower Hamlets, and Southwark (all at 2.1%).
• Chinese migrant communities are among the highest-income earners and top academic achievers. They are also the least likely to receive government welfare support. Additionally, they excel in socioeconomic measures, with the lowest rates of arrest and incarceration, the lowest overweight or obesity rates, and the lowest school suspension rates.