Asylum backlog: record highs and lows

The extremes of asylum backlog as published by Home Office, across the 18 periods held here (2010 to Year ending June 2026). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

The latest figure, 40,168 in Year ending June 2026, is the lowest since 2018, when it was 35,855 — every period between was higher. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly above the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

160,9192022

Lowest published

7,2402010

The full series

Asylum backlog: 2010 to Year ending June 2026CoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour050k100k150k20102015202020252010: 7,240 people · published 27 August 20262011: 8,857 people · published 27 August 20262012: 12,816 people · published 27 August 20262013: 18,172 people · published 27 August 20262014: 22,898 people · published 27 August 20262015: 22,147 people · published 27 August 20262016: 27,857 people · published 27 August 20262017: 29,522 people · published 27 August 20262018: 35,855 people · published 27 August 20262019: 51,228 people · published 27 August 20262020: 64,895 people · published 27 August 20262021: 100,564 people · published 27 August 20262022: 160,919 people · published 27 August 20262023: 128,786 people · published 27 August 2026Year ending June 2025: 90,812 people · published 27 August 2026Year ending June 2026: 40,168 people · published 27 August 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestOne point a year is drawn; the source publishes overlapping year-ending figures, and every one is in the history table and CSVShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.