London's population has decreased by more than 400,000 people in a year, marking the first significant decline since 1988, excluding the Covid pandemic. According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 420,492 individuals left London for other regions in the year leading up to June 2025, while 288,531 moved to London from other areas, resulting in a net outflow of 131,961 people.
The population of London fell by 0.29%, or 26,737 individuals, to 9,122,909 during this period. Despite more births than deaths in the city—104,610 births compared to 50,399 deaths—the overall population decline is attributed to the significant number of residents relocating to the commuter belt or other parts of the UK in search of better living conditions.
The boroughs experiencing the largest net outflows include Newham, Brent, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, and Hillingdon. The ONS noted that while London had a positive natural change and net international migration, these were outweighed by the net outward migration.
The overall population of England and Wales was estimated at 62 million in mid-2025, reflecting a growth of 224,900, or 0.4%, from the previous year. This rate of increase is the lowest since mid-2020, with net international migration dropping significantly from previous years. The number of births in England and Wales was reported at 588,000, while deaths totaled 568,400, leading to a natural change increase of just 19,600.