Net migration to the United Kingdom in 2024 was 20% lower than initially reported, according to updated data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The revised figures show that net migration-the difference between those arriving and departing-has been adjusted downward by 86,000 people, now standing at a total of 345,000 for the year.

This significant change is attributed largely to a higher number of British nationals emigrating from the UK in 2024 than previously estimated.

According to the new analysis, around 100,000 more Britons are believed to have left the country compared to earlier reports.

Despite this revision for last year, the overall estimate of net migration since 2021 remains relatively stable.

The total net migration figure covering the period from 2021 to 2024 has been slightly reduced from an earlier estimate of 2.6 million people to a revised figure of approximately 2.5 million.

The updated statistics come as the government unveils proposals aimed at overhauling the asylum system.

These measures include periodic reviews of asylum status and tighter restrictions on migrants' access to benefits.

The ONS has been working on revamping its methodology for estimating official migration numbers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Prior to this, estimates relied on surveying small groups of passengers at entry points such as airports and ports about their travel intentions-a method which Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory think tank, described as producing “implausibly low” results for British nationals.

In response, officials have adopted a system based on individuals’ presence in tax and benefit records-believed to offer a more accurate reflection of ongoing migrant activity within the UK.

Using these administrative sources, ONS now estimates that in 2024 roughly 257,000 British nationals left while about 143,000 Britons returned from abroad.

This equates to net emigration among Britons of approximately 114,000 people-much higher than their earlier estimate of just 17,000.

However, Dr Sumption cautioned that these figures are "still not final" due to limitations with administrative data: specifically, they cannot track precisely when someone arrives or departs.

This can lead to misclassification if an individual remains in-country but ceases appearing in tax or welfare records (for example, if they rely solely on savings), potentially being counted erroneously as having emigrated.

Due to these concerns with non-EU citizens' data accuracy using this approach, ONS has stopped employing it for measuring EU migration flows.

Instead, they now rely on Home Office visa information and border data.

The previous estimation method suggested there were around 96,000 fewer EU citizens living in Britain by late-2024; under the new methodology this figure has been revised downward substantially-to about a reduction of just 69,000 EU citizens resident in the UK.

On Monday Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined major changes planned for Britain’s asylum policies in Parliament-labeling current arrangements “out of control and unfair.”

Addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons she said: “If we fail to deal with this crisis we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger and ends in hatred.”