In 2007, British authorities granted 164,635 applications for UK citizenship, 7% higher than in 2006. The previous record for the number of people granted British citizenship was set in 2005, when 161,700 people became subjects of Her Majesty.
More than half of all new UK citizens (53%) obtained this status after living in the country for the required six years, 18% became citizens through marriage to Britons, and another 25% are children who received citizenship together with their parents.
In 2007, British citizenship was most often taken by people from India, the Philippines, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Pakistan. There were 1,885 Russians among those who received British citizenship last year.