- The UK issued 245,520 British citizenship grants in the year ending June 2026, down four percent year over year.
- Indian and Pakistani nationals remained the top recipients, with 24,851 and 18,489 grants respectively.
- Applications hit a record more than 315,000, even as completed grants fell slightly.
The UK granted 245,520 citizenships in the year ending June 2026, a 4% fall from the previous year, according to statistics published by the Home Office on 27 August 2026. The rounded total was 246,000 British citizenship grants.
Indians and Pakistanis remained the largest nationality groups receiving citizenship. The figures kept the two groups at the top of the Home Office series, a position they have held consistently since 2005.
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The department recorded 24,851 grants to Indian nationals and 18,489 to Pakistani nationals during the 12-month period. Most grants to both groups came through naturalisation.
The Home Office linked that pattern to established settlement trends. Its summary said:
“Indian and Pakistani nationals continued to account for the highest numbers of British citizenship grants, mainly through naturalisation, and consistent with longstanding settlement trends.”
The overall total fell slightly, but remained high by historical standards. The department compared the latest figure with the available time series dating back to 2005.
Applications climbed while completed grants edged lower
Just over 315,000 people applied to become British citizens in the year ending June 2026. Applications rose 17% from the preceding year, reaching the highest number on record.
That increase outpaced the movement in completed grants. The figures therefore show a larger pipeline of applicants alongside a modest annual reduction in decisions resulting in citizenship.
The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said non-EU nationals accounted for 234,000 applicants, or 74% of the total. The pattern reflects the continuing role of migrants from outside the European Union in the citizenship system.
Many of those migrants arrived before 2020 and have gradually reached the point at which they can seek British citizenship. Eligibility typically follows a period of lawful residence and settlement.
Registration accounted for 74,085 of the grants
The Home Office recorded a separate increase in citizenship grants made through registration. That route produced 74,085 grants, up 1% from the year ending June 2025.
| Citizenship route | Grants in year ending June 2026 | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 74,085 | Up 1% |
| All routes | 245,520 | Down 4% |
Registration is distinct from naturalisation, the route mainly associated with the leading nationality groups in the latest figures. The two routes together make up the published total.
The nationality figures do not represent an isolated one-year change. Indian and Pakistani applicants have occupied the top positions in the Home Office data for more than two decades, with naturalisation accounting for most grants to those nationalities.
Settlement remains an earlier step for many applicants
A related Home Office release recorded 199,628 grants of settlement in the same year. Settlement often precedes eligibility for citizenship after 12 months.
That sequence helps place the citizenship figures within a longer immigration process. Migrants first build the residence history required for settlement, then may become eligible to apply for nationality if they meet the citizenship rules.
The latest results also show why applications and grants can move in different directions. A record number of applications can enter the system while completed grants decline over the same reporting period.
The Home Office published the statistics in its Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026 release on 27 August 2026. The data cover the year ending June 2026 and preserve the long-running ranking of Indians and Pakistanis at the top of the nationality table.
