Immigration and Housing Factsheet
By: Rita Diaz Published: October 2008
The migration of foreign nationals to the UK is a very controversial issue, and is currently the subject of considerable public debate. This factsheet provides information on the trends of international migration to the UK, and looks at the impact migration has on both the economy and social housing.
- Immigration and Housing Factsheet (PDF 125.5 KB)
Summary
The UK has a long history of immigration (people coming into the country) and emigration (people leaving the country). Prior to the 1980s, there were more British nationals moving to countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and Spain, than people coming into the country. Since then, the trends have reversed.
Most developed countries have seen a trend towards higher immigration, and the UK is no exception. Australia has the largest share of migrants in its population with 24 per cent, followed by Germany (13 per cent), the United States (12.8 per cent), France (10 per cent), and the UK (9 per cent).
