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Emigration

Volume 463: debated on Monday 10 September 2007

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many British emigrants there were from the United Kingdom aged between (a) 0 to 16, (b) 16 to 25, (c) 26 to 35, (d) 36 to 45, (e) 46 to 55, (f) 56 to 65 and (g) over 65 years in each of the last five years; (155119)

(2) how many non-British European Union emigrants there were from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin;

(3) how many British emigrants there were from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, broken down by country of destination;

(4) how many non-European Union emigrants there were from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 September 2007:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to your questions concerning:

i) How many British emigrants there were from the UK aged between (a) 0 to 16, (b) 16 to 25, (c) 26 to 35, (d) 36 to 45, (e) 46 to 55, (f) 56 to 65 and (g) over 65 years in each of the last five years;

ii) How many non-British European emigrants there were from the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin;

iii) How many British emigrants there were from the UK in each of the last five years broken down by country of destination;

iv) How many non-European emigrants there were from the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin.

The data are presented in the attached tables 1 to 4.

The Office for National Statistics uses the UN definition of an international migrant as someone who changes their country of usual residence for at least a year so that the country of destination effectively becomes the country of usual residence.

The specific details requested mean that estimates are only available based on International Passenger Survey (IPS) data. This means that these estimates exclude most asylum seekers, migration between the UK and the Irish Republic, and adjustments for those who change their intention about their length of stay in the UK, and hence their migrant status.

Table 1: International migration: estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 2001 to 2005, British emigration by age, United Kingdom

Thousand

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

All ages

133

164

170

184

174

0-15

15

15

18

17

20

16-25

27

38

32

34

29

26-35

38

42

44

51

47

36-45

26

31

40

29

40

46-55

13

20

15

24

14

Over 55

14

18

20

29

25

Note:

The 65+ age group has been combined with 56 to 65 as none of the 65+ values are statistically robust.

Table 2: International migration: estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 2001 to 2005, non-British European Union emigration by country of birth, United Kingdom

Thousand

Citizenship

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

European Union 15

All countries of birth

40

42

42

31

31

European Union1 (including UK)

36

40

40

29

30

Other countries

4

2

3

1

1

European Union 25

All countries of birth

34

47

European Union1 (including UK)

33

45

Other countries

1

1

1 The ‘European Union’ grouping used in standard outputs exclude the UK because international migration must involve changes of residence between the UK and the rest of the world. However, the UK is included in this table because it contains data based on both citizenship and country of birth and there are a small number of British born emigrants who are non British-EU citizens.

Notes:

1. Estimates are provided by main country groupings as data for individual countries of birth are not sufficiently robust.

2. Full details of country groupings are available in the notes to tables section of International Migration Series MN no. 32 (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=507)

2. Italicised estimates are not statistically robust (defined as standard error >30 per cent.) but have been included for completeness.

Table 3: International migration: estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 2001 to 2005, British emigration by top five countries of destination and broad country groupings, United Kingdom

Number (Thousand)

2001

All countries

133

Top five countries

Australia

31

United States of America

15

Spain

15

Germany

13

New Zealand

8

Broad country groupings

European Union

41

Commonwealth

53

Old Commonwealth

47

New Commonwealth

7

Other Foreign

38

2002

All countries

164

Top five countries

Australia

27

Spain

24

United States of America

18

France

13

Netherlands

10

Broad country groupings

European Union

68

Commonwealth

54

Old Commonwealth

44

New Commonwealth

10

Other Foreign

42

2003

All countries

170

Top five countries

Australia

36

Spain

33

France

18

United States of America

13

Germany

13

Broad country groupings

European Union

71

Commonwealth

63

Old Commonwealth

55

New Commonwealth

9

Other Foreign

35

2004

All countries

184

Top five countries

Australia

37

Spain

29

United States of America

16

New Zealand

15

France

15

Broad country groupings

European Union

68

Commonwealth

73

Old Commonwealth

62

New Commonwealth

12

Other Foreign

42

2005

All countries

174

Top five countries

Australia

34

Spain

29

France

27

New Zealand

15

United States of America

10

Broad country groupings

European Union

74

Commonwealth

68

Old Commonwealth

62

New Commonwealth

6

Other Foreign

32

Notes:

1. Italicised estimates are not statistically robust (defined as standard error >30 per cent.) but have been included for completeness.

2. Full details of country groupings are available in the notes to tables section of International Migration Series MN no. 32 (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=507)

Table 4: International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey, time series 2001 to 2005, non-European Union emigration by country of birth, United Kingdom

Thousand

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

All

77

99

102

92

107

European Union (including UK)

4

4

5

6

3

Commonwealth

All

41

50

50

48

57

Old Commonwealth

28

37

35

31

36

Australia

16

17

15

15

15

Canada

1

6

2

4

3

New Zealand

6

10

8

5

8

South Africa

5

4

9

7

10

New Commonwealth

13

13

16

16

20

Other Foreign countries

All

33

45

47

38

48

Other Europe

10

14

12

3

7

United States of America

6

15

10

8

12

Other America

2

2

3

3

6

Middle East

2

3

1

2

2

Other other foreign

13

11

20

23

20

Notes:

1. Italicised estimates are not statistically robust (defined as standard error >30 per cent.) but have been included for completeness.

2. Full details of country groupings are available in the notes to tables section of International Migration Series MN no. 32 (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=507)