Population and migration
The picture here is mixed. Population growth on its own shows little for 2019 to 2024 and a modest positive link over 2015 to 2024. International migration goes with slightly faster rent growth in the simple comparison, but not reliably once house prices and the other factors are taken into account.
Moves within the UK run the other way: councils that people were leaving saw somewhat faster rent growth between 2019 and 2024. That could just as easily be rising rents pushing people out as the reverse. Migration is the net flow over the period per 1,000 residents at the start.
Frequently asked questions about population and migration and rents
Does population growth push rents up?
The picture is mixed. Population growth on its own shows little link with rent growth over 2019 to 2024 and a modest positive link over 2015 to 2024. Neither is strong enough to call a cause.
Does migration raise rents?
International migration goes with slightly faster rent growth in the simple comparison, but not reliably once house prices and the other factors are taken into account. Migration is measured as the net flow over the period per 1,000 residents at the start.
Why do rents rise faster where people are leaving?
Councils that people were leaving saw somewhat faster rent growth between 2019 and 2024. That could as easily be rising rents pushing people out as the reverse, so the direction of cause is unclear.
Does this page cover asylum seekers or refugees?
No. These figures are net flows of people moving to or from a council area, from ONS population estimates. Asylum accommodation has its own page, with the controls and caveats that topic needs.