Roughly 52,000 Nigerians moved to the United Kingdom in the year ending December 2024, according to new figures from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS). This comes as overall net migration to the UK dropped by nearly 50% year-on-year.
Nigerians ranked among the top non-EU+ nationalities entering the UK last year, with most arrivals tied to work and study purposes. Specifically, 27,000 arrived on work-related visas, 22,000 for study, and 3,000 under other immigration categories.
These numbers place Nigeria alongside India, Pakistan, and China as one of the largest contributors to non-EU+ migration.
“For YE December 2024, Indian was the most common non-EU+ nationality to immigrate to the UK,” the ONS reported. “Work- and study-related immigration was fairly similar for Indian, Pakistani, and Nigerian nationals.”
In contrast, immigration from China was overwhelmingly study-related, with 53,000 Chinese nationals coming to study and only 5,000 for work.
The demographic data shows that 52% of non-EU+ migrants were male and 48% female. A large majority (83%) were of working age (16–64), while 16% were children under 16, and just 1% were aged 65 and over.
Despite these figures, overall long-term net migration to the UK saw a sharp decline. The ONS estimates net migration for 2024 at 431,000—nearly half of the 860,000 recorded the previous year. The drop is attributed to a decrease in arrivals on work and study visas and a rise in emigration, particularly among those who initially came to the UK on study visas after COVID-related travel restrictions were lifted.
