National Insurance numbers allocated to adult overseas nationals to September 2019
Updated 21 April 2020
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-insurance-numbers-allocated-to-adult-overseas-nationals-to-september-2019/national-insurance-numbers-allocated-to-adult-overseas-nationals-to-september-2019
The latest release of these statistics can be found in the collection of National Insurance number allocations statistics.
This summary contains statistics on National Insurance numbers (NINos) allocated to adult overseas nationals, covering the period from January 2002 to September 2019.
A National Insurance number (or NINo) is generally required by any adult overseas national looking to work or claim benefits and tax credits in the UK.
These Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics show a count, by individual nationality, of the number of NINos registered to adult non-UK nationals each quarter, irrespective of the length of stay in the UK. The statistics are not a count of the number of adult non-UK nationals currently residing in the UK.
1. Main stories
752,000 NINos were registered in the year to September 2019: a 21% increase on the previous year.
Figure 1: The number of NINo registrations to September 2019
Source: NINo statistics data tables.
The increase seen in registrations in the year ending September 2019 is partly explained by the increase of registrations to non-EU nationals. This increase is in part due to including adult dependents in the automatic registration for a National Insurance number when their visa application is approved. This process was introduced in September 2018.
In the year to September 2019, 61% of all NINo registrations were allocated to European Union (EU) nationals: down by 8 percentage points from the previous year.
Figure 2: Percentage of NINo registrations by EU subgroups to year ending September 2019
Source: NINo statistics data tables.
2. What you need to know
This summary contains statistics on NINos allocated to adult overseas nationals, covering the period from January 2002 to September 2019.
These statistics are designated as Official Statistics.
What can you use these figures for?
The statistics provide:
- a 100% count of foreign nationals registered for a NINo in a quarter
- the nationality of foreign nationals at the time of registering
- where the foreign nationals registered
What you cannot use these figures for
The statistics cannot be used as a count of:
- quarterly or annual migration to the UK
- the number of foreign nationals who have started work or are currently in work
- the number of foreign nationals who are currently in the UK.
The statistics show the number of people registered for a NINo in order to work or to claim benefits and tax credits and are one of a number of supplementary measures produced by government of in-migration to the UK.
Although quarterly registration figures are provided in the accompanying data tables, care should be taken when interpreting quarterly changes as they might reflect changes in operational activity. Annual year-on-year changes are more reliable to reflect longer-term trends.
The statistics are published as part of the scheduled timetable for the release of cross-Government migration statistics. The Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) is a summary of the quarterly releases of official international migration statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Read the background information note for further information, including detail on uses and limitations of the series.
Comparisons with other sources of migration
NINo statistics are not a direct measure of long term migration and therefore are not directly comparable with ONS long-term estimates of immigration.
On 7 March 2016, the ONS published an information note explaining the reasons why long-term international immigration figures from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) could differ from the number of NINo registrations.
This was followed by an analytical paper presenting analysis that has been undertaken across government to help understand why the 2 series are showing different trends, with focus on EU migration.
EU groupings used within migration statistics
The following EU groupings are used in the statistics:
- EU15 (original EU members)
- EU8 (joined the EU in 2004)
- EU2 (Romania & Bulgaria)
- European Union Other
For reporting purposes, countries have been grouped into ‘World Areas’ based primarily on geographical location,
3. Where in the world are people registering from?
Figure 3: Number of NINo registrations by EU subgroups to September 2019
Source: NINo statistics data tables.
In the year to September 2019, there were 457,000 NINo registrations by EU nationals (up 7% from previous year).
Registrations across all EU sub groups and change from previous year:
- EU15 – up 20% to 195,000
- EU8 – down 10% to 80,000
- EU2 – up 4% to 177,000
In the year to September 2019, registrations to EU8 nationals accounted for 17% of all EU registrations. This represents a drop of 57 percentage points from the year to December 2006, when it was the highest at 74%.
Note: There was a sharp rise in NINo registrations in 2014 following the removal of restrictions on work for EU2 citizens. Some of this is reflecting individuals who were residing in the UK prior 2014 and would only have been able to register for a NINo after that date. See arrival to registration analysis on EU2 nationals for more about this.
Outside of the EU, South Asia has the most registrations.
Figure 4: Number of NINo registrations in the year ending 2018 and 2019 ending in September by World Area
| Area | Registrations: Year to Sep 2018 | Registrations: Year to Sep 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| EU15 | 163,000 | 195,000 |
| EU2 | 170,000 | 177,000 |
| EU8 | 89,000 | 80,000 |
| South Asia | 59,000 | 102,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 26,000 | 38,000 |
| Other Europe | 17,000 | 28,000 |
| East Asia | 17,000 | 23,000 |
| Middle East and Central Asia | 16,000 | 22,000 |
| North America | 14,000 | 20,000 |
| South East Asia | 14,000 | 18,000 |
| Oceania | 14,000 | 16,000 |
| Central and South America | 10,000 | 15,000 |
| North Africa | 7,000 | 10,000 |
In the year to September 2019 registrations to non-EU national increased by 50%, to 293,000. 37% of this increase was contributed by the increase of registrations to Indian nationals.
Figure 5: Top 5 EU and Non-EU individual nationalities, registrations in year to September 2019 and the % change from previous year.
| EU Country | Registrations | Percentage Change | Non-EU Country | Registrations | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 139,000 | +1% | India | 72,000 | +99% |
| Italy | 52,000 | +18% | Pakistan | 18,000 | +37% |
| Poland | 43,000 | -10% | United States | 14,000 | +45% |
| Bulgaria | 38,000 | +13% | China | 14,000 | +25% |
| Spain | 37,000 | +18% | Nigeria | 13,000 | +48% |
Nationalities with the largest increases in registrations in the year to September 2019 are:
- India (see Figure 5)
- Italy (see Figure 5)
- Spain (see Figure 5)
- Portugal up 27% to 24,000
- Pakistan (see Figure 5)
4. Where in the UK are people registering?
Almost half of all registrations are in London or the South East.
Figure 6: EU and non-EU NINo registrations: Year to September 2019, by region
| Region | Non-EU | EU |
|---|---|---|
| London | 110,000 | 170,000 |
| South East | 34,000 | 57,000 |
| East of England | 20,000 | 39,000 |
| West Midlands | 22,000 | 36,000 |
| North West | 22,000 | 31,000 |
| Scotland | 19,000 | 26,000 |
| East Midlands | 14,000 | 29,000 |
| South West | 12,000 | 25,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14,000 | 21,000 |
| Wales | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| North East | 6,000 | 5,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,000 | 8,000 |
Figure 7.1: EU NINo registrations year to September 2019, by local authority at time of registration
Source: NINo statistics data tables.
Figure 7.2: Non-EU NINo registrations year to September 2019, by local authority at time of registration
Source: NINo statistics data tables.
Note: The darker areas of the maps show local authorities with higher levels of registrations.
You can also view an interactive version of the local authority map showing National Insurance number registrations from different world areas by GB local authority.
Figure 8: Top 10 local authorities by number of NINo registrations at September 2019
| Local Authorities | Registrations |
|---|---|
| Newham | 20,000 |
| Tower Hamlets | 19,000 |
| Birmingham | 17,000 |
| Brent | 17,000 |
| Westminster | 13,000 |
| Ealing | 13,000 |
| Glasgow City | 13,000 |
| Manchester | 12,000 |
| City of Edinburgh | 12,000 |
| Haringey | 12,000 |
5. About these statistics
Status: Official Statistics
National Insurance number (NINo) allocations to adult overseas nationals are Official Statistics. Official Statistics are produced in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and the Code of Practice for Statistics. They meet high standards of:
- trustworthiness
- quality
- public value
World Areas
For reporting purposes, countries have been grouped into ‘world areas’ based primarily on geographical location. Countries are grouped according to current world area status for the entire back series.
| World Area | Sub Group |
|---|---|
| European Union (EU) | European Union EU15 (original EU members), European Union EU8 (joined EU in 2004), European Union EU2 (Romania & Bulgaria), European Union Other |
| Non-European Union (Other Europe) | Other Europe |
| Asia | Middle East and Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South East Asia |
| Rest of the World | Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, North America, Central and South America, Oceania |
A detailed nationality breakdown for each world area is available in the supplementary data tables accompanying this release.
Where to find out more
Read previous releases of these statistics.
The background information note includes detail on data sources, uses and limitations of the series.
Full statistics on National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK are available from Stat-Xplore.
View an interactive map showing NINo registrations from different world areas by GB local authority.
View an interactive NINo dashboard showing National Insurance number registrations by nationality for each GB region.
Read about the NINo application process.
The Migration Statistics Quarterly Report provides a comprehensive summary of the various sources of migration statistics including headline NINo statistics.
Enquires and feedback
DWP would like to hear your views on our statistical publications. If you use any of our statistics publications, we would be interested in hearing what you use them for and how well they meet your requirements: Send your comments by email to: stats-consultation@dwp.gov.uk.
Press enquiries should be directed to the DWP Press Office, telephone: 0203 267 5144.
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed by email to: yolanda.ruizrodriguez@dwp.gov.uk or ali.spahiu@dwp.gov.uk.