UK migrants more likely to have HE qualification than British-born

Migrants living in the UK are more likely to have a higher education qualification than residents who were born in the country, figures suggest.

Findings from the 2021 census show that up to two-thirds of foreign-born residents in some parts of the UK attended higher education.

Overall, the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 44 per cent of adult residents born outside the UK had a higher education qualification at the time of the census on 21 March 2021 – compared with 31 per cent of UK-born residents.

The ONS said differences in age between UK-born and non-UK born residents account for about a third of the difference in the level of higher education qualifications, but the remaining gap was “harder to explain”.

“It could be that people who migrate tend to be those with more qualifications, as work and study are two common reasons for moving country,” it added.

Of the almost 200 countries with at least 100 residents in the UK, those from Taiwan were the most qualified – 80 per cent had a qualification at Level 4 or above.

This was followed by those from unspecified parts of the former Soviet Union (78 per cent) and Mexico (76 per cent).

The census data show that Indians make up the largest adult migrant population in England and Wales, totalling about 870,000 in 2021.

Of them, just over half possess higher education qualifications.

Other nations with large number of migrants in the country and higher levels of qualifications than UK residents include Poland (35 per cent with higher education qualifications), Ireland (36 per cent) and Romania (33 per cent).

The ONS said other factors that could play a role in qualification levels include the number of migration routes available and the political environment in migrants’ country of birth.

The census data also show how the proportion of non-UK-born residents with degrees varies across the local authorities in England and Wales.

At 66 per cent, the London borough of Richmond had the highest rate, after the City of London, which has a very low resident population, is excluded.

Almost all the areas with the highest rates were in London or the south-east.

By contrast, just 20 per cent of migrants in Blackburn had a Level 4 qualification.

ONS statisticians said cities such as London, Manchester, Bristol and Oxford appeared to attract a relatively high number of migrants with higher education qualifications.

Other factors, such as the different nature of migrant communities, might explain why some cities with large migrant populations, such as Birmingham, have lower levels of higher education qualifications among their migrants, they added.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com