British Citizenship Grants Fell 12 Percent but Stayed Near Historic High
27 May 2026
If you hold ILR and are planning to naturalise as a British citizen, the latest Home Office figures show that demand remains historically strong. There were 236,512 grants of British citizenship in the year ending March 2026, according to statistics published on 21 May 2026. That is "a 12% decrease compared with the YE March 2025", but the total is still "the second highest level recorded within the data since 2005 (when the time-series began)."
Settlement grants rose in the same period. There were 524,991 grants of indefinite leave overall, a 4% increase. Of those, 370,535 were EUSS settled status grants, up 12% from the previous year. Non-EUSS settlement routes accounted for the remaining 152,306 grants.
If you are approaching the end of your qualifying period for ILR, make sure your absence record meets the continuous residence requirements before submitting your application. Getting ILR is the step before you can apply for British citizenship.
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