New data shows London recorded its first genuine population decline in 37 years as more than 400,000 people left the capital in the year to live in other regions of the country.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the year to June 2025 show that, in addition to 400,000 people moving out, 288,531 people moved from other regions to London, delivering a net outflow of 131,961 people. The figures represent the first drop in London’s population since 1988, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overseas migration actually worked in the opposite direction, offsetting some of that loss: 234,612 people arrived in London from abroad against 182,773 who left to live overseas, a net international inflow of 51,839. But that gain, along with positive natural change from births outnumbering deaths, wasn’t enough to outweigh domestic departures, leaving the capital’s overall population down 0.29% to 9,122,909.
IAM Member Impact: For IAM members in the London area, the figures obviously reflect last year’s activity, with outbound volume from London driven by national moves, while overseas arrivals continue to provide a partial cushion.
Source: The Standard