Posted by:
anonymous [
x] - (82.41.43.---)
Date: March 07, 2005 08:39PM
The UK has experienced higher levels of both inward and outward international migration in recent years than previously. Migration into the country increased from 265,000 in 1993 to 513,000 in 2002. Out-migration also increased over the period, but to a lesser extent – from 266,000 in 1993 to 359,000 in 2002.
As a result, net international migration increased over the decade. In 1993, the UK experienced a small net outflow of migrants. Net inflows were recorded in each year from 1994 onwards. These increased in the late 1990s to 172,000 in 2001, but fell slightly to 153,000 in 2002.
Over the decade to 2002, 3.9 million people entered the country as migrants and 2.8 million left, giving a net inflow of over one million people. In contrast, during the years 1983 to 1992, 2.4 million people entered the country and 2.2 million left, a net in-migration of 240,000. In the previous decade (1973 to 1982) there was an overall net outflow of 430,000 people from the UK.
The recent increases in net international migration to the UK mean that migration became much more important in determining the country's population change in the late 1990s. In 2002, and each of the three preceding years, international migration contributed approximately 80 per cent of the UK's annual population increase.
In 2002, 125,000 people migrated from the UK to the European Union (EU), compared with 89,000 who migrated from the EU to the UK. This gives a net outflow of 36,000 to the EU. There was a net inflow of 69,000 from the Commonwealth, and a net inflow of 120,000 from countries other than the EU or the Commonwealth
Around a half of the people migrating into and out of the UK in 2002 were aged between 25 and 44. Although the proportions of both in-migrants and out-migrants in this age group were very similar, there was a net inflow of 69 thousand in this age group because the total number of in-migrants was greater than the number of out-migrants.
A much higher proportion of out-migrants than in-migrants were aged between 45 and state pension age, resulting in a net outflow of 22,000 in this age group. Conversely, a higher proportion of in-migrants than out-migrants were aged 15 to 24, and there was a large net inflow of 93,000 people in this age group.
In total, both in-migrants and out-migrants were slightly more likely to be male than female, with males making up around 55 per cent of both the inflows and outflows.