People are ditching cities and moving to Cornwall, figures show

People across Britain are leaving cities and moving to the countryside – including Cornwall, official figures show. In 2023, Cornwall had the highest rate of internal migration in all of England and Wales, as thousands more moved here than moved out.

The latest official figures show that five new residents arrived in the county for every four who moved in 2023. The figures come as part of data that also shows thousands of Britons are joining the exodus from the country’s biggest cities Great Britain and move to the countryside. .

Internal migration figures from the Office for National Statistics show that all of England’s main cities saw more people move out last year than the number who moved out.

READ MORE: Live: The man known to walk long distances disappears

READ MORE: The worst and best GP surgeries in Cornwall to get appointments

The data count people who decided to move from one part of the country to another and do not include figures for immigration from abroad. In 2023, around 860,000 people left London to live elsewhere in the UK, which is 130,000 more than the 730,000 who decided to settle in the capital.

There was a similar pattern in Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds, Leicester, Coventry, Bristol and Sheffield. But rural and coastal areas saw a net increase in residents from in-migration, with the biggest increases seen in Cornwall, Yorkshire, Somerset, Cheshire, Dorset and Northumberland.

In total, around 3.7 million people moved from one part of England and Wales to another in 2023. Every borough in London saw more people leave than moved in, but the council area that saw the biggest exodus was in Birmingham. Around 56,000 people moved to Birmingham last year, but 74,000 moved out, a loss of around 17,500 people. Birmingham was followed by Newham in London, then Coventry, Nottingham, Manchester and Leicester.

⚠️ Want the latest breaking news and top articles about Cornwall first? Click here to join CornwallLive on WhatsApp and we’ll send you breaking news and top stories straight to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out anytime you want. If you are curious, you can read Privacy Notice ⚠️

Of the top 30 areas with the highest net migration, all were either London boroughs or large cities, with the exception of Luton and Slough – two of the UK’s largest cities. The only major city in England and Wales to experience a net increase was Cardiff, which gained around 2,500 residents from in-migration.

The figures follow recent trends and appear to show that cities in England are losing their appeal, possibly due to higher rent and housing costs – although prices are below the national average in cities such as Coventry and Nottingham.

The highest net migration was observedGet the best stories about the things you love most, curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you like Here

in Cornwall. Just under 20,000 people moved in, but 25,000 did, possibly drawn by the surf, beaches and beautiful scenery — though lower-than-average rent and house prices may have eased the decision.

This factor will come as a surprise to the locals living in the housing crisis in the county, with a severe shortage. Over the past four years, the number of households in need of emergency accommodation has increased by around 240% to 851, while the number of households on our social housing register is now over 20,000.

After Cornwall, the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire had the next highest net migration figures, with newcomers possibly attracted by the mix of countryside and dramatic coastlines; and then Cheshire East – with villages such as Alderley Edge and Wilmslow popular with wealthy Premier League footballers.

You can check migration figures in England and Wales using our map

Just under 200,000 more women than men moved last year, and most movers were between the ages of 19 and 29.
More 19-year-olds moved than any other age group in a single year – most likely to go to university – followed by age 22, the age at which many leave school and either return home , or move to other parts of the country in search. of work opportunities.

You can see the figures for each area’s net inward migration below

London (all boroughs) -129,000
Birmingham -17,481
Coventry -8,624
Nottingham -8,271
Manchester -7,897
Leicester -7,797
Leeds -5,024
Sheffield -4,502
Bristol -3,774
Bradford -3,531
Portsmouth -3,432
Middlesbrough -2,964
Southampton -2,291
Oxford -2,270
Liverpool -1,845
Brighton -1,938
Newcastle -1,814

Get the best stories about the things you love most, curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you like Here