The UK’s last six prime ministers have all promised to reduce migration – and now it is happening. The most recent figures show that net migration (the number of people coming to the UK minus the number leaving) was at 171,000 in 2025. This is the lowest point since 2012.
Falling migration may be a political win in a world where both the right and left see it as a top national concern and promise tough measures to “secure borders”. But it also has implications for the economy, including worsening existing labour shortages and constraining future growth.
