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Fewer people moving to NI as figures decline sharply

John CampbellEconomics and business editor, BBC News NI
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There were an estimated 12,100 international arrivals while 10,200 people left giving a net gain of 1,900 people

International migration to Northern Ireland declined sharply in 2025, new official figures suggest.

There were an estimated 12,100 international arrivals while 10,200 people left giving a net gain of 1,900 people.

Excluding the pandemic year of 2020, it was the lowest level of international immigration in more than a decade.

It compares to a recent peak of net international immigration of almost 9,000 people in 2023.

Those figures are in line with a general UK trend which showed a surge in immigration in the years after the pandemic before seeing a sharp decline.

When adding intra-UK movements to the figures there was overall net emigration of 800 people from NI in 2025.

The overall population of NI increased by just 600 people in 2025 as there were 1,400 more births than deaths.

The trends suggest that the NI population is likely to start shrinking soon.