Over 52,000 Nigerians migrated to the United Kingdom in 2024, according to new data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), placing Nigeria among the leading sources of non-EU+ migration to the UK that year.
The movement took place in the midst of a dramatic drop in net migration overall, which dropped by about 50% in the year that ended in December 2024. The predicted net migration was 431,000, a considerable decrease from the 860,000 recorded the year before.
Of the Nigerians who relocated, the majority did so for employment or educational opportunities. Specifically, 27,000 individuals received work-related visas, while 22,000 arrived on study visas. The remaining 3,000 entered the UK under other immigration categories.
Nigeria joined India, Pakistan, and China as one of the leading sources of non-EU+ migrants to the UK. The ONS report noted that “for the year ending December 2024, Indian nationals were the most common non-EU+ immigrants,” with work and study remaining the predominant reasons for migration among nationals from India, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
The data also revealed key demographic trends among non-EU+ migrants: 83 percent were of working age (16–64), with a near even gender distribution—52 percent male and 48 percent female. Children under 16 accounted for 16 percent of arrivals, while individuals aged 65 and above made up just one percent.
While Nigeria remained a notable source of migration, the overall drop in immigration levels was attributed to a decline in arrivals on work and study visas, especially from non-EU+ countries, as well as a rise in emigration. According to the ONS, many who migrated during or shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly students, have since returned to their countries of origin.
The biggest drop was in primary applicants’ work-related migration, which decreased by 108,000, or 49%, from the previous year. The number of dependents traveling with international students decreased by 86%, the largest decrease of any category, while study-related immigration decreased by 17%.
