The number of foreign IT workers entering the UK has increased 32% in the past year, with 79% originating from India, according to data from Work Permits UK gained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The data, gained by the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo), found that 33,756 UK work permits were issued to foreign IT workers in the past year, compared to 22,000 in the previous year.

It also reveals that the number of work permit allocations in IT has more than doubled in the past five years, and has increased tenfold over the past ten years.

Other countries providing the UK with significant numbers of IT workers are the United States, Australia, South Africa and China, according to the data.