Civometry

Voluntary returns: record highs and lows

The extremes of voluntary returns as published by Home Office, across the 24 periods held here (2004 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, 30,936 in Year ending June 2026, is the highest since 2013, when it was 31,694 — every period between was lower. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly below the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

31,7622010

Lowest published

3,5662004

The full series

Voluntary returns: 2004 to Year ending June 2026LabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour010k20k30k200520102015202020252004: 3,566 returns · published 27 August 20262005: 7,601 returns · published 27 August 20262006: 12,599 returns · published 27 August 20262007: 20,453 returns · published 27 August 20262008: 24,356 returns · published 27 August 20262009: 29,765 returns · published 27 August 20262010: 31,762 returns · published 27 August 20262011: 30,088 returns · published 27 August 20262012: 31,002 returns · published 27 August 20262013: 31,694 returns · published 27 August 20262014: 27,815 returns · published 27 August 20262015: 30,210 returns · published 27 August 20262016: 28,474 returns · published 27 August 20262017: 20,979 returns · published 27 August 20262018: 15,702 returns · published 27 August 20262019: 12,574 returns · published 27 August 20262020: 5,009 returns · published 27 August 20262021: 7,352 returns · published 27 August 20262022: 11,014 returns · published 27 August 20262023: 20,475 returns · published 27 August 2026Year ending June 2025: 28,407 returns · published 27 August 2026Year ending June 2026: 30,936 returns · 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.