Fewer Dutch people moving to the UK

© ANP
Over the past three years, increasingly few Dutch nationals have moved to the United Kingdom. Until 2016, the number of Dutch citizens leaving for the UK was still rising. The number of British people immigrating from the UK to the Netherlands is growing more and more rapidly. This trend was already visible in 2015, before the British in a referendum on 23 June 2016 voted to leave the European Union. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of new population figures.

[video: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/video/8c8c42ff98bc4baa95d189f166150e66] 

Migration flows between the Netherlands and the UK, native British and Dutch persons
PeriodImmigration UK - Netherlands, native BritishImmigration UK - Netherlands, native Dutch Emigration Netherlands - UK, native BritishEmigration Netherlands - UK, native Dutch
20052354126413663873
20062698135215263954
20072939163314103737
20083478176512603186
20093165176515482739
20103126165517203050
20113255179717773600
20123390169617743344
20133627163919813682
20143735175221983949
20154141200922744277
20164747227125273749
20175134233226503323
2018*5792235727163025

In 2018, slightly over 3 thousand native Dutch people emigrated to the UK, the lowest number since 2009. Between 2012 and 2015, this number was still rising. After 2015, the number of migrant Dutch nationals dropped by 29 percent (relative to 2018). The number of Dutch returning from the UK has risen by 17 percent since 2015, a trend which had already started earlier. Last year, however, there were still more Dutch people who moved to rather than returned from the UK, just as in previous years.

On balance more British coming to the Netherlands

While fewer Dutch people are emigrating to the UK, a growing number of native British people are trading the UK for the Netherlands. In 2018, for example, 5.8 thousand British nationals settled here, i.e. a 40 percent increase relative to 2015. The number of British people returning home after having been in the Netherlands increased as well, in line with prior increases. On balance, this number stood at more than 3 thousand last year.

Also more foreigners moving from the UK to the Netherlands

In 2017 and 2018, in contrast to previous years, there were more non-native Dutch and non-native British people who moved from the UK to the Netherlands than vice versa. Already in 2016, the number of foreigners migrating from the UK to the Netherlands showed accelerated growth, by 32 percent relative to 2015. This migration flow included many Polish, Spanish, Italian and French people. The largest group of emigrants moving from the Netherlands to the UK were Somalis.

Overall, the migration balance between the Netherlands and the UK has been positive over the past three years. In 2018, net migration from the UK stood at 3.6 thousand, against a negative balance from 2010 to 2015.

Migration flows between the Netherlands and the UK, foreign-born persons
PeriodsImmigration UK - Netherlands, foreign-born personsEmigration Netherlands - UK, foreign-born persons
200512853190
200615003547
200717963135
200822932758
200924462593
201022872664
201124032841
201223602942
201324443107
201425703526
201527043963
201635693967
201743033265
2018*47003460
* Provisional figures

EU-27’s negative net migration declining

The EU-27 as a whole has a negative migration balance with the United Kingdom although it has decreased significantly. The number of native Europeans in the EU-27 leaving their country to settle in the UK has remained high in recent years. Those returning from the UK, on the other hand, have risen substantially in number. This increase explains the reduced migration balance. The number of British nationals moving out and settling in one of the countries within the EU-27 or vice versa has remained virtually unchanged over the past several years.

Migration between EU-27 and the United Kingdom, persons
CategorieEuropean migrants, from EU-27 to the UKBritish migrants, from EU-27 to the UKEuropean migrants, from the UK to EU-27British migrants, from the UK to EU-27
2005105400322004230072700
2006133500252005120071300
2007155600230005460049700
20081605003030011840062700
2009137800348009110028400
2010146100359007670033800
2011148100304007970029500
2012132900276006170035400
2013170200253006650033300
2014223800234007470033800
2015226400277006810037100
20162111002440010480039000
20172150002480012930036100
Source: CBS, Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Sharpest drop among Dutch emigrants under the age of 20

Of all Dutch people emigrating to the UK, the share of 0 to 14-year-olds saw the steepest decline within a period of three years (45 percent, 2015-2018). The decrease was less strong among 15 to 39-year-olds and people aged 40 and up: 22 and 15 percent respectively relative to 2015. Over half of Dutch migrants moving to the UK were in their twenties and thirties.

Emigration by Dutch people to the United Kingdom
Leeftijdsklassen20152018
0 to 14 yrs1516835
15 to 39 yrs23941879
40 yrs and over367311

The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union. In a special dashboard, Statistics Netherlands is showing the main indicators for economic relationships between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands: the Brexit Monitor.