Single-lever policy simulation · immigration

Net migration target

250k/yr100k/yr10-year projection

This report models the effect of reducing net migration from 250k/yr to 100k/yr — with every other government policy left unchanged — on the workforce, housing, the public finances, the economy and the NHS, projected over 10 years.

Bottom line

Eases Rent pressure, House prices and Housing supply gap, but worsens Working-age population, Tax receipts and Fiscal pressure.

A single lever moved in isolation — which no real government does. Figures are modelled projections, not predictions. How the model works →

Direct effects

Working-age population

very strong pressure

Why: More working-age migrants expand the labour force, increasing the productive population base

Rent pressure

very strong improvement

Why: Additional households compete for the same housing stock, pushing rents upward

Effect emerges within months

House prices

very strong improvement

Why: Population growth adds sustained demand pressure to the housing market

Effect develops over 1–2 years

Dependency ratio

strong pressure

Why: Working-age migrants improve the ratio of workers to dependants, easing pension and care costs

Housing supply gap

strong improvement

Why: More people means the gap between housing need and available supply widens

Hospital waits

strong improvement

Why: Growing population increases hospital demand, stretching existing capacity further

Effect emerges within months

GP access

strong improvement

Why: More residents register with GPs, increasing demand without matching new capacity

Effect emerges within months

Knock-on effects

Reached indirectly, as the direct effects propagate through the system. Ordering reflects how the effect spreads, not a literal sequence in time.

Tax receiptsvery strong
Fiscal pressurevery strong
GDP strengthvery strong
Public satisfactionmoderate
Social cohesionmild
NHS staffingslight
Political riskslight
Model output — exact figures
Working-age population500 (-50)
Rent pressure7234 (-38)
Tax receipts5017 (-33)
Fiscal pressure6192 (+31)
GDP strength4516 (-29)
House prices6539 (-26)
Housing supply gap7552 (-23)
Dependency ratio5578 (+23)
Hospital waits6847 (-21)
GP access5535 (-20)
Public satisfaction3851 (+13)
Social cohesion4853 (+5)
NHS staffing7371 (-2)
Political risk6058 (-2)

Index points on a 0–100 scale. Lower is better for pressure metrics; higher is better for outcomes like GDP and satisfaction.

Net migration target: 250k/yr → 100k/yr · Britain 2036