Over a third of Londoners who move home are choosing to live outside of the capital.
Comparison service Compare My Move says 37% of residents are quitting the capital, up from the 29% less than two years ago.
The service puts the trend down to an 18% rise in removal costs and post-election uncertainty: while other parts of the UK experienced a busy moving season in the summer, London’s moving rates slowed.
In 2024, London’s peak moving season in Q3 saw 20.8% fewer movers compared to the peak in 2023. This drop includes both Londoners staying within the city and those leaving – it’s been a quieter summer for moves overall.
| Quarter | Percentage of Londoners Staying | Percentage of Londoners Leaving |
| Q1, 2023 | 71% | 29% |
| Q2, 2023 | 69% | 31% |
| Q3, 2023 | 65% | 35% |
| Q4, 2023 | 66% | 34% |
| Q1, 2024 | 66% | 34% |
| Q2, 2024 | 69% | 31% |
| Q3, 2024 | 63% | 37% |
Although the overall number of movers has taken a dip over the previous year, the percentage of those movers leaving London has increased. Between January of 2023 and September of 2024, there has been an 8% shift to people leaving London compared to people staying.
Although all of London has seen an increase in the percentage of people leaving, different parts of London have seen varying numbers of people leaving, here is a table that shows the percentage of Londoners leaving and staying in different boroughs this summer.
| PO Code | Percentage of People Leaving London | % Change | |
| Q2 | Q3 | ||
| NW | 27% | 30% | +3% |
| N | 33% | 30% | -3% |
| E | 29% | 31% | +2% |
| SW | 27% | 33% | +6% |
| SE | 32% | 37% | +5% |
| W | 29% | 30% | +1% |
In Q3, more Londoners are leaving the capital across nearly every region, with only North London bucking the trend. While London overall still sees a high percentage of residents moving within city limits, the exodus varies significantly by region.
The South of London stands out with the highest rate of residents moving out. In particular, the South East saw a jump from 32% to 37% in movers leaving the city, while the South West followed closely, increasing from 27% to 33%. Every region but the North of London has seen an increase in people leaving the capital.
Over 64% of Londoners leaving the city are staying close by, with the South East and East regions being the most popular destinations.
The South East alone attracted 38.5% of movers, while only 10.7% ventured further afield to places like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
This trend suggests that while 37% of Londoners are choosing to leave the capital, most still prefer to stay within easy reach of the city.
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