National statistics

National Insurance numbers allocated to adult overseas nationals to June 2021

Published 26 August 2021

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

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 June 2021.

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

There were a total of 92,000 NINo registrations in quarter 2 (Q2) of the 2021 calendar year, a 10% increase since the previous quarter, and a 66% increase compared to the same quarter in 2020. The increase in Q2 of 2021 is a result of the NINo service being more widely available to applicants following its suspension in March 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

There were 32,000 NINo registrations to EU nationals recorded in Q2 2021, a 22% increase from Q2 2020. When comparing to the previous quarter (Q1 2021), EU registrations decrease, while registrations to Non-EU nationals increase.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, the total number of NINo registrations to adult overseas nationals was 270,000, this is a 56% decrease on the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations to Non-EU nationals in the twelve months ending June 2021, continued to outnumber registrations to EU nationals. In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to Non-EU nationals outnumbered registrations to EU nationals by 110,000. It should be noted that this is the second NINo publication to include a full twelve months’ worth of data following the start of the first UK COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, there were 78,000 NINo registrations to EU nationals. This represents a decrease of 260,000 (77%), in comparison to the number of registrations during the twelve-month period ending June 2020. EU registrations for the twelve-month period ending June 2021, were at the second lowest level recorded in a full twelve-month period since the start of the time series, with the twelve-month period ending March 2021 having the lowest number of registrations. This change was due to a decrease in registrations to all EU countries, with decreases in registrations to nationals from Romania, Italy and Poland accounting for 49% of the total decrease of EU registrations during this period. In January 2020 the UK officially exited the EU, although until the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020, the rights of EU nationals remained unchanged. Demand for NINo services from EU nationals may have been impacted by the EU Exit, however this cannot be inferred from these statistics due to the wider effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on NINo services.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, there were 190,000 NINo registrations to Non-EU nationals. This represents a decrease of 85,000 (31%), when compared to the number of registrations recorded during the twelve months ending June 2020 for this group. Decreases in registrations to nationals from India, China, Australia, Pakistan and the United States, accounted for 45% of the decrease of registrations to Non-EU nationals in the twelve months ending June 2021.

It is important to acknowledge that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NINo operations were paused for the majority of applicants from mid-March 2020.

During the twelve-month period ending June 2021, the NINo service to EU Nationals was more heavily disrupted than for Non-EU nationals by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was due to the closure of face-to-face services which at the time (prior to the end of the transition period, 31 December 2020) required EU nationals to attend an evidence of identity interview prior to a NINo being allocated. Therefore, caution must be taken when using EU figures for this period.

The majority of Non-EU Nationals were able to access the NINo service via a postal process as they would have had their identity verified by another government department, for example through the Home Office visa process. The postal process was reinstated on 1 June 2020, after being suspended in March 2020.

2. What you need to know

This summary contains statistics on NINos allocated to adult overseas nationals, covering the period from January 2002 to June 2021.

Re-designation of National Statistics status

The UK Statistics Authority re-designated these statistics as National Statistics, at November 2020. This outcome is the result of work over the last 3 years undertaken by the statistics team responsible for the publication in order to address a list of recommendations the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) set out in in their judgement in January 2017, when they judged that the National Statistics status would be temporarily suspended.

The 2017 assessment of the statistics focused on eight requirements which DWP was to meet to ensure compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics and considered more broadly how the statistics meet the three pillars of the Code of Practice for Statistics: Trustworthiness, Quality, and Value and with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Key developments include:

• introduction of quarterly data in the narrative
• a thorough quality report
• detailed methodology note and data journey
• new user engagement strategy
• new publication strategy
• move to HTML and a more accessible release

Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is the responsibility of the statistics team to maintain compliance with these standards.

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.

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 Office for National Statistics (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 two series are showing different trends, with focus on EU migration.

Transformation of migration statistics

Following the suspension of the IPS as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ONS is in the process of developing international migration statistics based on alternative administrative data sources. The first iteration of these new Admin-Based Migration Estimates (ABMEs) were published on 16 April 2021. More information on the progress made and timelines can be found in “Population and migration statistics system transformation – recent updates”.

EU groupings used within migration statistics

The following EU groupings are used in the statistics:

• EU15 (these are the original EU members: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden)
• EU8 (these joined the EU in 2004: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia)
• EU2 (these joined the EU in 2007: Romania & Bulgaria)
• EU Other (Croatia, Cyprus and Malta)

For reporting purposes, countries have been grouped into ‘World Areas’ based primarily on geographical location.

Changes to the NINo recording process in 2014

A change to the process of recording NINos during Q2 2014, means that the volume of NINo registrations recorded were lower in that quarter and then higher in Q3 2014 than would otherwise be the case. Therefore, NINo registrations over this period should be interpreted with caution.

Rounding policy

The rounding policy was reviewed for the May 2020 publication, as the publication now includes lower level figures. Data in the release has since been rounded as shown in the following table.

From	To	Rounded to nearest
0	1,000	10
1,001	10,000	100
10,001	100,000	1,000
100,001	1,000,000	10,000
1,000,001	10,000,000	100,000
10,000,001	100,000,000	1,000,000

All changes are calculated prior to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated prior to rounding and then are rounded to the nearest whole number. As all figures within this statistical summary have been rounded, they may not add up.

COVID-19

The NINo allocation process was disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of NINos allocated.

The processing of NINo applications made for employment purposes was suspended in March 2020 to enable the redeployment of resources to other DWP areas to address the unprecedented demand for financial assistance, for example to help process new Universal Credit applications. Although new NINo applications made for employment purposes were not accepted, those already received and new applications made for benefit purposes were processed to completion. The postal process for NINo applicants with a valid work visa issued prior to their arrival in the UK was reinstated on 1 June 2020, after being suspended in March 2020, enabling applications to be accepted from Non-EU nationals. During this time DWP developed a digital service, which began accepting applications from EU nationals who have been granted pre-settled or settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), in December 2020. Face to face services reopened in April 2021.

The impact of the operational disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be visible in the yearly data for some time after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. The NINo service became fully available from April 2021.

Operational changes: apply for a NINo

DWP have introduced a digital platform to enable applicants to make an application for a NINo using an on-line service. Where an applicant has already had their identity verified as part of their immigration status, visa applications, or the EU Settlement Scheme, the need for a face-to-face identity check is no longer required. The processes to verify the identity of individuals who have been granted EUSS status, were put in place on 7 December 2020. This will have had a small effect on the registrations recorded in Q4 2020, and will have contributed to the registrations made from Q1 2021 onwards.

EU exit

This statistical release covers the period until 30 June 2021. The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 ended free movement between the EU and the UK on 31 December 2020 and the Future Relationship treaty came into force, launching the new Points Based Immigration System. Read the background information note for further information on the EU Exit.

Quarterly data

For some nationality sub-groups, seasonal patterns in the number of registrations are visible in the quarterly figures. However, these are often heavily disrupted by various changes to policy, operations and other events such as COVID-19. Seasonal effects can also be suppressed at levels of data higher than individual nationalities, due to different countries having opposing seasonal patterns.

Q1 to Q4 refers to calendar quarters, starting from 1 January to 31 March for Q1.

3. How many people are registering?

Annual NINo registrations are starting to increase

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, 270,000 NINos were registered to adult overseas nationals. This is a 56% decrease on the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations to Non-EU nationals in the twelve months ending June 2021 continued to outnumber registrations to EU nationals. In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to Non-EU nationals outnumbered registrations to EU nationals by 110,000.

The overall decrease in registrations is primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with processing of new NINo applications made for employment purposes being suspended on 18 March 2020. Although new NINo applications made for employment purposes were not accepted between 18 March and 1 June 2020, those already received and new applications made for benefit purposes were processed to completion. The service to Non-EU nationals opened from 1 June 2020, whereas the service to EU nationals did not commence until 7 December 2020 and may account for the difference between the two cohorts.

Total NINo registrations are increasing in Q2 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In Q2 2021, there were 92,000 NINos registered, a 66% increase on the number of registrations made in Q2 2020 and a 10% increase since last quarter. Between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, both EU and Non-EU registrations increased. There were 32,000 NINo registrations to EU nationals recorded in Q2 2021, an increase of 22% from Q2 2020. Non-EU registrations increased by 106% to 60,000 registrations over the same period. There was an increase in total registrations (92,000 in Q2 2021) from the previous quarter.

4. Where in the world are people registering from?

The proportion of Non-EU NINo registrations is increasing

Source: Stat-Xplore.

The proportion of Non-EU registrations to overall registrations has been steadily increasing from the twelve months ending June 2017 to the twelve months ending June 2020. A higher increase was observed between the twelve months ending June 2020 and the twelve months ending June 2021. In the twelve months ending June 2021, of all the NINos registered to adult overseas nationals, 71% were registered to Non-EU nationals, an increase of 26 percentage points from the 45% of registrations accounted for by Non-EU nationals in the twelve months ending June 2020.

NINo registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

World Area	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
EU	330,000	78,000	-260,000	-77%
Non-EU	280,000	190,000	-85,000	-31%
Total[footnote 1]	610,000	270,000	-340,000	-56%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

Total registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021 are the second lowest they have been in any twelve-month period during the whole time series. In the twelve months ending June 2021, Non-EU registrations continued to outnumber EU registrations. During this period, registrations to EU nationals decreased by 77%, compared to a 31% decrease in registrations from Non-EU nationals. EU registrations accounted for 29% of the total registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, compared to 55% of registrations in the twelve months ending June 2020.

NINo registrations in Q2 2021, compared with Q2 2020

World Area	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
EU	26,000	32,000	+5,700	+22%
Non-EU	29,000	60,000	+31,000	+106%
Total[footnote 1]	55,000	92,000	+37,000	+66%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In Q2 2021, both EU and Non-EU registrations increased when compared to Q2 2020. EU registrations increased by 22%, to 32,000, from Q2 2020, while Non-EU registrations increased by 106%, to 60,000 registrations over the same period. When compared to the previous quarter (Q1 2021), EU registrations decreased, while registrations to Non-EU nationals increased over the same period.

In Q2 2021, NINo registrations to EU nationals accounted for 35% of all registrations. This is less than the 47% share they accounted for in Q2 2020.

EU NINo services have been more heavily disrupted than Non-EU NINo services by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was due to the suspension of the ‘Evidence of Identity’ interview which EU applicants were required to attend. Where an applicant has already had their identity verified by another government department, for example through the Home Office visa process, a face to face identity check is not required. The postal process for NINo applicants with a valid work visa issued prior to their arrival in the UK was reinstated on 1 June 2020, after being suspended in March 2020, affecting applications from Non-EU nationals. The process to remove the need for a face to face identity check has now been extended to all applicants who have been through a Home Office identity check including those who have been granted a status through the EUSS.

5. EU Registrations

The majority of NINo registrations to EU nationals in Q2 2021 are likely to have been to applicants who, due to the suspension of the service, are only now able to make an application for a NINo.

Extreme caution must be taken when using the EU registrations for the twelve months ending June 2021 and Q2 2021 for migration statistics, due to the larger impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the NINo allocation service to EU nationals.

The postal process for NINo applicants with a valid work visa issued prior to their arrival in the UK was reinstated on 1 June 2020, after being suspended in March 2020, affecting applications from Non-EU nationals.

5.1 Long term trends and changes in EU Registrations

Annual EU NINo registrations are starting to increase

Source: Stat-Xplore.

Across the whole time series, since 2002:

• registrations from EU15 countries gradually increased from June 2003 until they peaked in the twelve months ending June 2015 (with 260,000 registrations that accounted for 38% of EU registrations), and declined after the EU Exit referendum in June 2016. They then began to increase from the twelve months ending December 2018, until the twelve months ending December 2019, at which point they declined until the twelve months ending March 2021, where they then increased slightly until the twelve months ending June 2021

• registrations to EU8 citizens drove the sharp rise in EU NINo registrations in 2004, when countries from the EU8 joined the EU. EU8 registrations peaked in the twelve months ending September 2007 (with 340,000 registrations that accounted for 71% of EU registrations), after which they declined until the twelve months ending March 2010. After a period of volatility EU8 registrations have again generally declined since the EU Exit referendum in 2016 until the twelve months ending March 2021, at which point they increased marginally at the twelve months ending June 2021

• registrations to EU2 nationals were relatively low until the removal of restrictions on work for EU2 citizens drove the sharp rise in EU registrations in 2014. Some of this reflected individuals who were residing in the UK prior to 2014 and would only have been able to register for a NINo after that date (read arrival to registration analysis on EU2 nationals for more about this). EU2 registrations peaked in the twelve months ending December 2016 (with 230,000 registrations that accounted for 37% of EU registrations) and declined until the twelve months ending March 2019. They then increased again, until the twelve months ending September 2019, at which point they declined until the twelve months ending March 2021 and increased marginally at the twelve months ending June 2021

NINo registrations by EU sub-group in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

EU sub-group	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
EU15	150,000	40,000	-110,000	-73%
EU8	56,000	9,000	-47,000	-84%
EU2	130,000	29,000	-97,000	-77%
EU Other	4,100	960	-3,100	-77%
Total EU	330,000	78,000	-260,000	-77%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, there were 78,000 NINo registrations by EU nationals. Of which:

• 40,000 registrations were to EU15 nationals, a decrease of 73% since the twelve months ending June 2020. EU15 registrations now account for 51% of EU registrations compared to 44% in the twelve months ending June 2020. In the twelve months ending June 2021 EU15 registrations (40,000) were the second lowest they had been in any full year throughout the whole time series

• 9,000 registrations were to EU8 nationals, a decrease of 84% since the twelve months ending June 2020. EU8 registrations now account for 11% of EU registrations compared to 17% in the twelve months ending June 2020. EU8 registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021 (9,000) were the second lowest they had been in any full year throughout the whole time series

• 29,000 registrations were to EU2 nationals, a decrease of 77% since the twelve months ending June 2020. EU2 registrations now account for 37% of EU registrations compared to 38% in the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations to EU2 nationals for the twelve months ending June 2021 (29,000) are the second lowest they have been since the twelve months ending December 2013. Restrictions to EU2 nationals were lifted on 1st January 2014

• the largest number of NINo registrations to EU nationals were to nationals from Romania (20,000), followed by nationals from Italy (11,000), Bulgaria (8,200), Spain (7,700) and Portugal (6,600)

Top 5 EU individual nationalities by number of registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021 and annual percentage change

EU Country	Registrations to June 2021	Annual Percentage Change
Romania	20,000	-79%
Italy	11,000	-71%
Bulgaria	8,200	-73%
Spain	7,700	-74%
Portugal	6,600	-64%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, total EU registrations decreased by 77% from the previous year. The decrease was driven by the decrease in registrations from all EU sub-groups, particularly from the EU2 and EU15 that accounted for a combined 80% of the total decrease in EU registrations. Annual registrations to EU nationals are the second lowest they have been in any full year since the beginning of the time series, with the twelve months ending March 2021 being the lowest. In the twelve months ending June 2021, NINo registrations from all EU sub-groups increased from the twelve months ending March 2021, however, they decreased when compared to the twelve months ending June 2020.

Romania, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria and Spain were the five EU countries that saw the largest decrease in the number of NINo registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021. Although these five countries saw the largest decreases in the number of registrations, four of them (Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and Spain) are also amongst the five EU countries with the most registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021.

The decrease in annual registrations by nationals from Italy and Spain accounted for 44% of the decrease of registrations by EU15 nationals. The decrease in registrations to Polish nationals accounted for 54% of the decrease in EU8 registrations. The decrease in registrations to Romanian nationals accounted for 78% of the decrease in annual EU2 registrations.

EU individual nationalities with the largest decrease in registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

EU Country	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
Romania	96,000	20,000	-76,000	-79%
Italy	37,000	11,000	-26,000	-71%
Poland	30,000	4,700	-26,000	-84%
Bulgaria	30,000	8,200	-22,000	-73%
Spain	29,000	7,700	-21,000	-74%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

5.2. Recent changes in EU Registrations

Quarterly EU NINo registrations have decreased since last quarter, but increased since Q2 2020

Source: Stat-Xplore.

NINo registrations by EU sub-group in Q2 2021, compared with Q2 2020

EU sub-group	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
EU15	12,000	16,000	+4,500	+38%
EU8	3,700	4,100	+430	+12%
EU2	10,000	11,000	+730	+7%
EU Other	330	420	+80	+25%
Total EU	26,000	32,000	+5,700	+22%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

Compared to the same quarter a year ago, in Q2 2021:

• registrations to EU15 nationals increased by 38% to 16,000 registrations

• registrations to EU8 nationals increased by 12% to 4,100 registrations

• registrations to EU2 nationals increased by 7% to 11,000 registrations

• In Q2 2021, NINo registrations to all EU sub-groups increased when compared to the same quarter a year ago

• the largest number of NINo registrations in Q2 2021 were to nationals from Romania (7,800), followed by nationals from Italy (4,000), Bulgaria (3,200), Spain (3,000) and from Portugal (2,700)

In Q2 2021, the number of NINo registrations to EU nationals was the second highest in a calendar quarter since the start of the first UK COVID-19 lockdown towards the end of March 2020. However, they remain significantly lower when compared to quarterly data before the start of the pandemic. This is reflected in all four EU Sub-Groups.

Top 5 EU individual nationalities by number of registrations in Q2 2021 and percentage change from Q2 2020

EU Country	Registrations in Q2 2021	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
Romania	7,800	-2%
Italy	4,000	+52%
Bulgaria	3,200	+41%
Spain	3,000	+31%
Portugal	2,700	+89%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In Q2 2021, total EU registrations increased by 22% from Q2 2020, but decreased since the last quarter (Q1 2021). Increases were observed in all EU sub-groups when comparing to Q2 2020, however when comparing to the previous quarter decreases were observed in all EU sub-groups.

Registrations to all EU sub-groups increased from Q2 2020 to Q2 2021. The increase in registrations from Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece accounted for 87% of the increase in EU15 registrations. The increase in registrations from Bulgaria accounted for 125% of the increase in EU2 registrations, this is greater than 100% due to the fact that registrations from Romania (the other country in EU2), decreased from Q2 2020 and Q2 2021. The increase in registrations from Poland accounted for 91% of the increase in EU8 registrations.

EU individual nationalities with the largest increase in registrations in Q2 2021, change in registrations and percentage change from Q2 2020

EU Country	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
Italy	2,600	4,000	+1,400	+52%
Portugal	1,400	2,700	+1,300	+89%
Bulgaria	2,300	3,200	+910	+41%
Spain	2,300	3,000	+710	+31%
Greece	840	1,400	+520	+62%

EU individual nationalities with the largest decrease in registrations in Q2 2021, change in registrations and percentage change from Q2 2020

EU Country	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
France	1,600	1,400	-220	-14%
Romania	8,000	7,800	-180	-2%
Lithuania	480	400	-80	-17%
Czech Republic	260	230	-30	-11%
Finland	120	110	-20	-12%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

6. Non-EU registrations

It is important to acknowledge that registrations to Non-EU nationals have been less severely impacted by disruptions to NINo services than registrations to EU nationals. The postal process for NINo applicants with a valid work visa, issued prior to their arrival in the UK, was reinstated on 1 June 2020, after being suspended in March 2020, affecting applications by Non-EU nationals.

6.1. Long term trends and changes in Non-EU Registrations

Annual Non-EU NINo registrations are starting to increase

Source: Stat-Xplore.

Registrations to all Non-EU sub-groups have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a decrease in registrations across all Non-EU sub-groups in the twelve months ending June 2021, when compared to the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations from all Non-EU sub-groups except Oceania have increased when compared to the twelve months ending March 2021.

Across the whole time series, which starts in 2002:

• registrations from European countries not a part of the EU (Other Europe) have remained relatively low and stable from the start of the time series to the twelve months ending December 2018 and declined from the twelve months ending June 2020 until the twelve months ending March 2021. Registrations at the twelve months ending June 2021 have increased slightly from the twelve months ending March 2021. Registrations from Other Europe have increased above those from Oceania since the end of December 2017

• registrations from Asia generally increased until they peaked in the twelve months ending December 2010 (with 220,000 registrations that accounted for 64% of Non-EU registrations), and declined until the twelve months ending June 2014. Registrations from Asia were stable from the twelve months ending September 2015 until the twelve months ending December 2018. They then increased until the twelve months ending March 2020 and declined until the twelve months ending March 2021 and saw a slight increase at the twelve months ending June 2021

• registrations from Africa generally decreased from the peak in the twelve months ending March 2006 (with 74,000 registrations that accounted for 26% of Non-EU registrations) until the twelve months ending June 2014. Registrations from Africa were stable from the twelve months ending December 2015, until the twelve months ending December 2018. They then increased until the twelve months ending March 2020 and declined until the twelve months ending March 2021 and saw a slight increase at the twelve months ending June 2021

• registrations from the Americas turbulently increased from the twelve months ending December 2002 until they peaked in the twelve months ending March 2009 (with 36,000 registrations that accounted for 12% of Non-EU registrations), and then declined until the twelve months ending June 2014. Registrations from the Americas were stable from the twelve months ending December 2015, until the twelve months ending September 2018, followed by an increase until the twelve months ending September 2019 and have decreased until the twelve months ending March 2021 and then saw a slight increase at the twelve months ending June 2021

• registrations from Oceania peaked in December 2007 (with 35,000 registrations that accounted for 11% of Non-EU registrations), and have since fluctuated but generally declined. Registrations from Oceania have declined at an increased rate since the twelve months ending June 2020

Overall, across the time series, nationals from Asia have always been the largest contributor of Non-EU registrations, followed by Africa. Amongst the other world areas, there has been more variation across the time series, but on average, the Americas have had the third highest number of registrations, followed by Oceania, then Other Europe.

The noticeable increase in registrations to Non-EU nationals after September 2018 until the beginning of 2020, is mostly due to registration for a NINo of adult dependants as part of certain visa approvals.

NINo registrations by Non-EU world areas in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

Non-EU world area	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
Other Europe	27,000	15,000	-11,000	-43%
Asia	160,000	120,000	-44,000	-27%
Africa	47,000	39,000	-8,800	-19%
Americas	28,000	17,000	-12,000	-41%
Oceania	12,000	2,900	-8,900	-76%
Total Non-EU	280,000	190,000	-85,000	-31%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

NINo registrations by Non-EU sub-group in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

Non-EU sub-group	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
Other Europe	27,000	15,000	-11,000	-43%
Middle East and Central Asia	19,000	12,000	-7,000	-36%
East Asia	19,000	9,700	-9,300	-49%
South Asia	110,000	84,000	-23,000	-22%
South East Asia	16,000	12,000	-4,500	-28%
Sub-Saharan Africa	38,000	32,000	-6,100	-16%
North Africa	9,700	7,000	-2,700	-28%
North America	15,000	8,900	-5,700	-39%
Central and South America	14,000	7,700	-5,900	-43%
Oceania	12,000	2,900	-8,900	-76%
Total Non-EU	280,000	190,000	-85,000	-31%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, there were 190,000 NINo registrations by Non-EU nationals, a 31% decrease (85,000 less registrations) when compared with the 280,000 registrations in the twelve months ending June 2020. Of which:

• 15,000 registrations were to nationals from Other Europe, a decrease of 43% since the twelve months ending June 2020. Other European registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021 account for 8% of Non-EU registrations, compared to 10% in the twelve months ending June 2020

• 120,000 registrations were to nationals from Asia, a decrease of 27% since the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations from Asia now account for 62% of Non-EU registrations compared to 59% in the twelve months ending June 2020

• In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to nationals from East Asia (9,700) were the second lowest they have been in a full year since the start of the time series

• 39,000 registrations were to nationals from Africa, a decrease of 19% since the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations from Africa now account for 20% of Non-EU registrations compared to 17% in the twelve months ending June 2020

• 17,000 registrations were to nationals from the Americas. This is a decrease of 41% since the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations to the Americas in the twelve months ending June 2021, are the second lowest number of registrations recorded over a twelve-month period since the beginning of the time series. Registrations from the Americas now account for 9% of Non-EU registrations compared with 10% in the twelve months ending June 2020

• 2,900 registrations were to nationals from Oceania, a decrease of 76% since the twelve months ending June 2020. Oceanian registrations now account for 2% of Non-EU registrations compared with 4% in the twelve months ending June 2020. Registrations to Oceanian nationals in the twelve months ending June 2021, were the lowest they have ever been in a full year since the start of the time series

• In the twelve months ending June 2021, all Non-EU sub-groups experienced decreases when comparing to the twelve months ending June 2020

• The largest number of NINo registrations to Non-EU nationals were to nationals from India (61,000), followed by nationals from Nigeria (15,000), Pakistan (13,000), Philippines (7,300) and the United States (6,800)

Top 5 Non-EU individual nationalities, by number of registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021 and annual percentage change

Non-EU Country	Registrations to the twelve months ending June 2021	Annual Percentage Change
India	61,000	-21%
Nigeria	15,000	+18%
Pakistan	13,000	-30%
Philippines	7,300	+7%
United States	6,800	-35%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to Non-EU nationals decreased by 31% from the previous year. The decrease was the result of decreases across all Non-EU world areas, with Asia having the largest decrease in the number of registrations.

The five Non-EU countries with the largest decrease in registrations from the twelve months ending June 2020 to the twelve months ending June 2021, were India (decreased by 16,000), China (decreased by 6,500), Australia (decreased by 6,200), Pakistan (decreased by 5,700) and the United States (decreased by 3,700). The decrease in registrations by nationals from India, China and Pakistan, accounted for 63% of the overall decrease in registrations by nationals from Asia. The decrease in registrations by nationals from the United States, accounted for 32% of the overall decrease in registrations by nationals from the Americas. The decrease in registrations by nationals from Australia accounted for 69% of the overall decrease in registrations by nationals from Oceania. The decrease in registrations from nationals from Ghana and Sudan accounted for 48% of the overall decrease in registrations by nationals from Africa. The decrease in registrations from nationals from Turkey and Albania accounted for 44% of the decrease in registrations by nationals from Other Europe.

While registrations to all Non-EU world areas decreased between the twelve months ending June 2020 and the twelve months ending June 2021, there were several countries that actually experienced increases in registrations. The five Non-EU countries with the largest increase in registrations from the twelve months ending June 2020 to the twelve months ending June 2021, were Nigeria (increased by 2,300), Zimbabwe (increased by 470), Philippines (increased by 460), Bangladesh (increased by 220), and Niger (increased by 40).

Non-EU individual nationalities with the largest increase in registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

Non-EU Country	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
Nigeria	13,000	15,000	+2,300	+18%
Zimbabwe	1,600	2,100	+470	+30%
Philippines	6,900	7,300	+460	+7%
Bangladesh	5,800	6,100	+220	+4%
Niger	30	70	+40	+150%

Non-EU individual nationalities with the largest decrease in registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, change from previous year and annual percentage change

Non-EU Country	Registrations to June 2020	Registrations to June 2021	Change from previous year	Annual Percentage Change
India	77,000	61,000	-16,000	-21%
China	12,000	5,200	-6,500	-55%
Australia	8,300	2,200	-6,200	-74%
Pakistan	19,000	13,000	-5,700	-30%
United States	10,000	6,800	-3,700	-35%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

6.2 Recent changes in Non-EU Registrations

Registrations to all Non-EU sub-groups, except for Oceania, have increased since last quarter

Source: Stat-Xplore.

NINo registrations by Non-EU world areas in Q2 2021, compared with Q2 2020

Non-EU world area	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
Other Europe	2,800	5,600	+2,800	+103%
Asia	18,000	36,000	+18,000	+103%
Africa	5,000	13,000	+7,800	+158%
Americas	2,500	5,300	+2,700	+108%
Oceania	1,300	660	-660	-50%
Total Non-EU	29,000	60,000	+31,000	+106%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

NINo registrations by Non-EU sub-group in Q2 2021, compared with Q2 2020

Non-EU sub-group	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
Other Europe	2,800	5,600	+2,800	+103%
Middle East and Central Asia	1,600	4,100	+2,400	+147%
East Asia	1,600	2,800	+1,100	+70%
South Asia	13,000	26,000	+13,000	+97%
South East Asia	1,300	3,200	+1,900	+147%
Sub-Saharan Africa	4,000	11,000	+6,900	+171%
North Africa	950	1,900	+980	+103%
North America	990	2,400	+1,500	+146%
Central and South America	1,500	2,800	+1,300	+82%
Oceania	1,300	660	-660	-50%
Total Non-EU	29,000	60,000	+31,000	+106%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In Q2 2021, there were 60,000 NINo registrations by Non-EU nationals.

Compared with the same quarter a year ago, in Q2 2021:

• registrations to Other European nationals increased by 103% to 5,600 registrations

• registrations to Asian nationals increased by 103% to 36,000 registrations

• registrations to African nationals increased by 158% to 13,000 registrations

• registrations to nationals from the Americas increased by 108% to 5,300 registrations

• registrations to Oceanian nationals decreased by 50% to 660 registrations, the second lowest number of Oceanian registrations in a quarter since the start of the time series

• Out of all the Non-EU sub-groups, South Asia had the largest increase in registrations between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021. It is also the sub-group with the largest number of registrations (26,000), accounting for 43% of all Non-EU registrations in Q2 2021

Top 5 Non-EU individual nationalities by number of registrations in Q2 2021 and percentage change from Q2 2020

Non-EU Country	Registrations in Q2 2021	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
India	17,000	+103%
Nigeria	5,400	+265%
Pakistan	4,700	+69%
Bangladesh	2,400	+154%
Turkey	2,200	+173%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

The largest number of registrations in Q2 2021 were to nationals from India (17,000), followed by nationals from Nigeria (5,400), Pakistan (4,700), Bangladesh (2,400) and Turkey (2,200).

In Q2 2021, the total number of registrations by Non-EU nationals increased by 106% from Q2 2020. This change was the result of the increase in registrations from nationals from all world areas, except Oceania, with the majority of Non-EU registrations coming from Asia.

The five Non-EU countries with the largest increase in registrations between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, were India (increased by 8,800), Nigeria (increased by 3,900), Pakistan (increased by 1,900), Philippines (increased by 1,700), and Bangladesh (increased by 1,400). Between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, the increase in registrations from India, Pakistan, Philippines, and Bangladesh, accounted for 76% of the increase in registrations from Asia. The increase to registrations from Nigeria, accounted for 50% of the increase from Africa, between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021.

Countries which had the largest decrease in registrations, between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, were not from any one specific world area. The four Non-EU countries with the largest decrease in registrations between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, were Australia (decreased by 500), New Zealand (decreased by 170), Thailand (decreased by 30), and Somalia (decreased by 20). Between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, the decrease in registrations from Australia and New Zealand, accounted for 75% and 26% of the decrease in registrations from Oceania, respectively. Decreases from other countries, were not large enough to have a significant effect on the world area totals.

Non-EU individual nationalities with the largest increase in registrations in Q2 2021, change in registrations and percentage change from Q2 2020

Non-EU Country	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
India	8,600	17,000	+8,800	+103%
Nigeria	1,500	5,400	+3,900	+265%
Pakistan	2,800	4,700	+1,900	+69%
Philippines	260	2,000	+1,700	+652%
Bangladesh	930	2,400	+1,400	+154%

Non-EU individual nationalities with the largest decrease in registrations in Q2 2021, change in registrations and percentage change from Q2 2020

Non-EU Country	Registrations Q2 2020	Registrations Q2 2021	Change from Q2 2020	Percentage Change from Q2 2020
Australia	1,000	500	-500	-50%
New Zealand	300	130	-170	-58%
Thailand	220	190	-30	-15%
Somalia	250	230	-20	-8%

Source: Stat-Xplore.

7. Where in the UK are people registering?

Almost half (44%) of all known UK registrations, in the twelve months ending June 2021, were in London or the South East.

All regions saw a year on year decrease in registrations.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to London, the East of England, and the South East were the second lowest they have been during the whole times series.

London experienced the largest decrease in registrations between the twelve months ending June 2020 and twelve months ending June 2021, with a decrease of 140,000 registrations. Northern Ireland experienced the smallest decrease in registrations, with a decrease of 3,100 registrations from the twelve months ending June 2020. In the twelve months ending June 2021, registrations to London accounted for 33% of all registrations, the lowest they have accounted for during the whole time series.

EU and Non-EU NINo registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021, by region

Region	Non-EU registrations to June 2021	EU registrations to June 2021
London	61,000	27,000
South East	21,000	8,300
North West	19,000	7,300
West Midlands	17,000	7,000
East of England	15,000	7,100
East Midlands	12,000	6,300
Yorkshire and The Humber	11,000	4,600
Scotland	9,800	3,200
South West	8,300	3,700
North East	5,200	1,000
Wales	4,800	1,200
Northern Ireland	2,500	1,400

Source: Stat-Xplore.

The distribution of NINo registrations to Local Authorities differed between EU and Non-EU world areas

Source: Stat-Xplore.

In the twelve months ending June 2021, the number of registrations to Non-EU Nationals outnumbered registrations to EU nationals. This difference was seen across most Local Authorities, including all top ten Local Authorities with the largest overall number of registrations. It is important to acknowledge that registrations to Non-EU nationals have been less severely impacted by disruptions to NINo services than registrations to EU nationals.

Please note that the interactive version of the local authority map (updated annually with every May release), showing NINo registrations from different world areas by GB Local Authority, has not been updated since May 2019, due to a change in work environments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Top 10 Local Authorities by number of NINo registrations in the twelve months ending June 2021

Local Authorities	Registrations to June 2021
Newham	8,000
Birmingham	7,500
Manchester	6,100
Tower Hamlets	5,900
Brent	5,100
Leicester	4,900
Glasgow City	4,500
Ealing	4,300
Westminster	3,900
Hounslow	3,900

Source: Stat-Xplore.

8. About these statistics

National Statistics status

The UK Statistics Authority re-designated these statistics as National Statistics, at November 2020, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

National Statistics status means that our statistics meet the highest standards of:

• trustworthiness
• quality
• public value

Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards.

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 (joined EU in 2007), European Union Other
Non-European Union (Other Europe)	Other Europe
Asia	Middle East and Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South East Asia
Africa	Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa
Americas	North America, Central and South America
Oceania	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.

Read further information for this series, including detail on data sources, uses, quality and limitations of the series.

Full statistics on NINo allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK are available from Stat-Xplore.

Please note that the interactive map (updated annually with every May release), showing NINo registrations from different world areas by GB Local Authority, has not been updated since May 2019, due to a change in work environments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read about the NINo application process.

9. User engagement

Enquiries 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.

Enquiries about these statistics should be directed by email to:

Producers of this release: harry.phasey@dwp.gov.uk and dominique.radcliffe@dwp.gov.uk

Lead statistician: harry.phasey@dwp.gov.uk

ISBN: 978-1-78659-348-1

1. Due to rounding and the inclusion of unknown nationalities in the total, the total figure could differ from the sum of EU and Non-EU. ↩ ↩²