The extent to which England's migrant population has increased in recent years has been revealed by research from the University of Oxford.
An increase of 565,000 was recorded since 2011, according the the analysis. The figures are still a projected estimate that won't be confirmed until the next census but the team noted that they wanted to pull together as much information as possible before the general election.
The results suggest that while there have been certain pockets of the country where change has been more pronounced, the general trend has been for an increase in immigrants in all areas of England.
Unsurprisingly London showed the highest level of change with 3.2 million people in the capital now thought to have been born abroad. This represents an increase of 200,000 compared to figures seen around the time of the last census.
But the increase is not restricted to London. The West Midlands saw an increase of some 48,300 people, while the South West saw an increase of 29,300 and the North East recorded an increase of 26,200.
Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, commented on the findings, noting that the data revealed a difference in local experiences of migration across the UK.
She added: “There are large variations in the size of migrant populations, as well as the share that come from EU countries. We have undertaken this analysis to provide a resource for anyone looking to understand local demographics of migration in the run-up to the general election.”
The news comes shortly after government data revealed that net migration to the UK is higher than when the coalition government took office, with a net flow of 298,000 last year.