Baltic communities in the UK
How many people from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia live in the United Kingdom, based on official census figures.
Baltic-born residents in the UK
≈ 290,000
Lithuanian-born and Latvian-born residents from the 2021/22 censuses, plus the Estonian Embassy's estimate for Estonians.
Census figures count people born in each country. They do not include UK-born children or those with Baltic ancestry.
Comparison by country
Baltic-born residents in the UK
Breakdown by country and nation
Lithuania-born residents
182,423
England
161,596
Scotland
7,814
Wales
2,562
Northern Ireland
10,451
Historic communities in Scotland, and "Little Lithuania" in Beckton, East London. Strong presence in East Anglia, Leeds and Northampton.
Latvia-born residents
98,660
England
87,365
Scotland
6,924
Wales
1,219
Northern Ireland
3,152
Latvians arrived after the war under the 1947 "Westward Ho!" scheme. Communities today include London, Coventry, Hull, Bradford, Northampton and East Anglia.
Estonia-born residents
10,000–15,000
No exact census figure is published for Estonian-born residents. The Estonian Embassy estimates 10,000–15,000 Estonian citizens in the UK, with the most active communities in London, Bradford and Leicester.
Key trends
- The main wave of migration followed EU accession in 2004, when the UK opened its labour market at once.
- Lithuanian-born residents grew from 4,363 (2001) to 108,711 (2011) and 182,423 (2021/22).
- Latvian-born residents grew from 4,275 (2001) to 61,441 (2011) and 98,660 (2021/22).
- Latvian nationals in the UK peaked at about 117,000 in 2017 and were estimated at about 90,000 in 2021.
- More than 43,000 Lithuanian nationals returned from the UK between 2019 and 2024.
EU Settlement Scheme
EU citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020 had to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to keep their rights. These are the scheme's latest UK-wide figures, to 30 June 2026.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications received | 8.94 million |
| Applications concluded | 8.84 million (98.8%) |
| People granted status | About 5.8 million: 4.58 million with settled status, 1.25 million with pre-settled status |
| Outcome of all concluded applications | 50.7% settled status, 32.8% pre-settled status, 16.6% other outcomes (841,000 refused, 370,000 invalid, 253,000 withdrawn or void) |
| People still holding pre-settled status | 1,297,990 at the end of March 2026 |
| Waiting for a settled-status decision | 66,853 at 31 March 2026 |
| Automatic upgrades to settled status | 115,770 by June 2026 |
| Grants after a late application since the June 2021 deadline | More than 295,000 |
These figures cover the whole scheme, not Baltic citizens only, and count applications rather than people. The Home Office accepts late applications from people who were resident by 31 December 2020.
Where the communities live
The largest concentrations of Baltic-born residents, based on Census 2021 data for England and Wales and community records.
| Place | Community |
|---|---|
| Boston, Lincolnshire | Lithuanian — about 4,000 Lithuanian-born residents, 5.6% of the local population, the highest share in England (Census 2021) |
| Peterborough and Wisbech | Lithuanian — long-established communities across the Fens |
| Northampton | Lithuanian and Latvian — one of the largest Lithuanian populations outside London |
| Leeds and Bradford | Lithuanian and Latvian — Yorkshire hubs, with Latvian community organisations in Bradford |
| Beckton and Barking, East London | Lithuanian — the area known locally as "Little Lithuania" |
| London, Coventry and Hull | Latvian — community organisations and Saturday schools |
| Norfolk and Suffolk | Latvian — post-war communities from the 1947 "Westward Ho!" scheme |
Local figures come from Census 2021 local authority data and community records; they show where communities are concentrated, not a complete count.
Official sources
Statistics are for general information only and are based on published official sources. Figures are revised regularly and may differ between sources. Estonian figures are estimates. This is not legal advice.