Britain Sees Largest Immigration Surge Among Wealthy Nations
New OECD Data Shows UK Immigration Rose Over 50% in 2023
According to the latest analysis from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Kingdom experienced the most significant surge in immigration among wealthy nations last year. In 2023, the UK welcomed 746,900 new “permanent-type” migrants, a 52.9% increase from 488,400 arrivals in 2022.
This sharp rise in immigration outpaced all other OECD member countries. The only other country seeing anywhere near the UK’s level of immigration growth was South Korea, which reported a 50.9% jump to 87,100 new permanent arrivals.
The UK also recorded the second-highest number of overall immigrant arrivals behind only the United States, which saw 1.2 million new permanent residents in 2023.
These figures will likely increase pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government to address their campaign promise of “properly controlling and managing” immigration levels. Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, criticised the “exploding population” and argued that mass immigration is making the country “poorer” for most citizens, despite potential benefits for large employers.
The OECD analysis shows the flow of immigrants to Britain has more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, rising by 110%. This was one of the sharpest increases among OECD nations, surpassed only by New Zealand (where arrivals more than tripled), Lithuania, and Poland.
The OECD’s definition of “permanent-type” migration typically includes workers and their family members but excludes international students and temporary residents like Ukrainian refugees. In the UK’s case, the OECD noted a 60% increase in “family migration”, with 373,000 new family members joining labour migrants in 2023. Around 70% of these family migrants were accompanying relatives of skilled workers.
Indians were the most common nationality among foreign-born people moving permanently to the UK last year, followed by Nigerians and Chinese. Separate figures also revealed that 7 million foreign-born workers are now employed in the UK, a record high, while the number of British-born employees remains over 800,000 below pre-pandemic levels.
The OECD warned that these high immigration flows across the wealthy world have “fuelled widespread concern” about migrants’ economic and social impacts, making immigration management a top political priority for 2024 elections. Mr Farage called for the government to aim for “net zero migration” to stop population growth through immigration.
Overall, the data underscores the significant demographic shifts occurring in the UK, with immigration playing an increasingly central role. As the political debates around these issues continue, policymakers will likely face growing pressure to address public concerns while also managing the economic and social factors driving these immigration trends.