OIM - World Migration Report 2026 Chapter 2

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PUB2026/026/L/21

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026

2

MIGRATION AND MIGRANTS:

A GLOBAL OVERVIEW1

Introduction Migration continues to offer significant opportunities for growth, innovation and cross-cultural exchange, benefiting both origin and destination countries as well as migrants themselves. Yet it has also become an increasingly complex and sensitive political and policy issue, raising challenges related to integration, displacement, border management and safe and orderly migration. The number of international migrants has risen steadily over the past few decades. The current global estimate is that there were around 304 million international migrants globally by mid-2024, which equates to 3.7 per cent of the world’s population. This is up from around 250 million a decade earlier in 2015 (3.3% of the global population) and 111 million more than in 2005, when this figure stood at around 193 million.2 Despite the growing number of international migrants, it is important to note that cross-border movement remains the exception rather than the rule; most people continue to live in their countries of birth, and internal migration is far more common. Technological advancements, lower travel costs and digital connectivity have made global mobility more accessible, while economic inequality, demographic trends, conflict and environmental change continue to also shape migration patterns. Although most people migrate for employment, family, or education, others are compelled to move due to persecution, violence or disasters. While displaced populations such as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) comprise a smaller proportion of total migrants, they often face the greatest vulnerabilities, requiring urgent international attention and protection.

patterns. Although most people migrate for employment, family, or education, others are compelled to move due to persecution, violence or disasters. While displaced populations such as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) comprise a smaller proportion of total migrants, they often face the greatest vulnerabilities, requiring urgent international attention and protection. This chapter, with its focus on key global migration data and trends, seeks to assist migration policymakers, practitioners and researchers in making better sense of the bigger picture of migration, by providing an overview of global migration and migrants. The chapter draws upon current statistical sources compiled by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and Meta.3 The chapter provides an overview of global data and trends on international migrants (stocks) and international migration (flows). It also provides a discussion of particular migrant groups – namely, migrant workers, international students, refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs and missing migrants – as well as of international remittances. 1 The research and analyses included in this chapter were current at the time of writing (August–December 2025). 2

UN DESA, 2025.

3 To keep within the scope of this report, statistics utilized in this chapter were current as 31 December 2025, unless otherwise stated.2

Migration and migrants: a global overview The chapter also refers to the body of programmatic IOM data, particularly on assisted voluntary returns and reintegration, resettlement and displacement tracking. While these data are generally not global or representative, they can provide insights into changes that have occurred in relevant programming and operations globally. As IOM is the United Nations migration agency, with activities relevant to all the themes discussed in this chapter, IOM data have the capacity to provide further insights on migration and its various dynamics, including the diverse needs of migrants.

Defining migration, migrant and other key terms

IOM is the United Nations migration agency, with activities relevant to all the themes discussed in this chapter, IOM data have the capacity to provide further insights on migration and its various dynamics, including the diverse needs of migrants. Defining migration, migrant and other key terms Outside of general definitions of migration and migrant, such as those found in dictionaries, there exist various specific definitions of key migration-related terms, including in legal, administrative, research and statistical spheres.a While there is no universally agreed definition of migration or migrant, several definitions are widely accepted and have been developed in different settings, such as those set out in the revised recommendations on statistics of international migration and temporary mobility.b In 2025, the revised recommendations on statistics of international migration and temporary mobility were endorsed at the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the result of a years-long process to update the 1998 Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration.c The revisions reflect not only changes in data collection methods but also in migration patterns and management.d Technical definitions, concepts and categories of migrants and migration are necessarily informed by factors that are geographic, legal, political, methodological, developmental and temporal, among others. For example, there are numerous ways in which migration events can be defined, including in relation to place of birth, citizenship, place of residence and duration of stay.e This is important when it comes to quantifying and analysing the effects of migration and migrants, however defined. We encourage readers to refer to primary sources cited in the chapter for information on specific definitions and categorizations underlying the data. Readers may also find the IOM Glossary on Migration to be a useful reference.f a See, for example, Poulain and Perrin, 2001; World Bank, 2023. b UNSD, 2025. c UN DESA, 1998. d UNSD, 2025; UNSC, 2023. e See, for example, de Beer et al., 2010. f IOM, 2019.

International migrants: numbers and trends UN DESA produces estimates of the number of international migrants globally. The following discussion draws

d UNSD, 2025; UNSC, 2023. e See, for example, de Beer et al., 2010. f IOM, 2019.

International migrants: numbers and trends UN DESA produces estimates of the number of international migrants globally. The following discussion draws on those estimates, which are based on data provided by States.4 The current United Nations recommendations on statistics of international migration and temporary mobility classify all movements that cross international borders within a given year as international mobility, specifying two categories of international mobility: international

4 Data are also provided to UN DESA by territories and administrative units. For a summary of UN DESA stock data sources, methodology and caveats, see UN DESA, 2025.3 WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026 migration, and international temporary mobility.5 International migration is defined as “a change in the country of residence” with a threshold of 12 months, while international temporary mobility “includes all international border crossings (events) other than those related to changes in country of residence”.6 Some countries use different criteria to identify international migrants, for example applying different minimum durations of residence. Differences in concepts and definitions, as well as data collection methodologies between countries, hinder full comparability of national statistics on international migrants. While the estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past 50 years, it is important to note that the vast majority of people live in the country in which they were born. In the latest international migrant estimates (dated mid-2024), around 304 million people lived in a country other than their country of birth, or about 150 million more than 34 years earlier, in 1990, and over three times the estimated number in 1970 (84 million). The proportion of international migrants as a share of the total global population has also increased, but only incrementally, from 2.9 per cent in 1990 to 3.7 per cent in 2024 (see Table 1). Table 1. International migrants since 1970 Year Number of international migrants International migrants as a percentage of the world’s population 1970

only incrementally, from 2.9 per cent in 1990 to 3.7 per cent in 2024 (see Table 1). Table 1. International migrants since 1970 Year Number of international migrants International migrants as a percentage of the world’s population 1970 84 460 125 2.3 1975 90 368 010 2.2 1980 101 983 149 2.3 1985 113 206 691 2.3 1990 153 916 063 2.9 1995 163 176 002 2.8 2000 174 566 152 2.8 2005 192 788 721 2.9 2010 221 020 392 3.1 2015 250 042 020 3.3 2020 275 284 032 3.5 2024 304 021 813 3.7

Source: UN DESA, 2025.

The available international migrant data include estimates of origin and destination links between two countries, allowing for the estimation of bilateral migration corridors globally. The size of a migration corridor from country A to country B is measured as the number of people born in country A who were residing in country B at the time of the estimate. Migration corridors represent an accumulation of migratory movements over time and provide a snapshot of how migration patterns have evolved into significant foreign-born populations in specific destination countries. 5

UNSD, 2025.

6 Ibid.4

Migration and migrants: a global overview The Mexico to United States country-to-country corridor remains the largest in the world, with around 11 million people (see Figure 1). The second largest is Afghanistan to the Islamic Republic of Iran (more than 3.7 million migrants) followed by the Syrian Arab Republic to Türkiye (over 3.5 million), comprising mainly refugees displaced by the Syrian Arab Republic’s civil war. The corridor between the Russian Federation and Ukraine takes up the fourth spot while the fifth-largest corridor, India to the United Arab Emirates, comprises mainly migrant workers.

migrants) followed by the Syrian Arab Republic to Türkiye (over 3.5 million), comprising mainly refugees displaced by the Syrian Arab Republic’s civil war. The corridor between the Russian Federation and Ukraine takes up the fourth spot while the fifth-largest corridor, India to the United Arab Emirates, comprises mainly migrant workers. More than 8 million international migrants lived in the United Arab Emirates (comprising 74% of the population), with Indians (more than 3 million) being the top nationality. Figure 1. Top 20 international country-to-country migration corridors, 2024 Mexico–United States of America Afghanistan–Iran (Islamic Republic of) Syrian Arab Republic–Türkiye Russian Federation–Ukraine India–United Arab Emirates India–United States of America Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)–Colombia Ukraine–Russian Federation China–United States of America Bangladesh–Saudi Arabia Bangladesh–India Philippines–United States of America Yemen–Saudi Arabia India–Saudi Arabia Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Afghanistan–Pakistan Poland–Germany Burkina Faso–Côte d’Ivoire Indonesia–Malaysia Myanmar–Thailand 0 3 6 9 12 Migrants (millions)

Source: UN DESA, 2025.

Notes: The corridors represent the number of international migrants (millions) born in the first-mentioned country and residing in the second. Corridors represent an accumulation of migratory movements over time and provide a snapshot of how migration patterns have evolved into significant foreign-born populations in specific destination countries.5

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026

The number of male international migrants continues to be larger than the number of female migrants, and this gender gap has increased over time. Twenty years ago (2005) the male-to-female split was 51.1 to 48.9 per cent (or around 98 million male migrants and about 94 million female migrants). In 2024, the split was 52 to 48 per cent, with 158 million male migrants and 146 million female migrants. See Figure 2 for further breakdowns by sex.

(or around 98 million male migrants and about 94 million female migrants). In 2024, the split was 52 to 48 per cent, with 158 million male migrants and 146 million female migrants. See Figure 2 for further breakdowns by sex. Figure 2. International migrants, by sex 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024 Millions Male Female 48.9% 51.1% 51.2% 48.8% 52.1% 47.9% 52.0% 48.0% 52.0% 48.0%

Source: UN DESA, 2025.

Figure 3 shows the number of international migrants, disaggregated by sex, in the top 20 destination and origin countries. Some clear patterns emerge from this figure. There are more female than male international migrants across most of the destination countries in Europe and Northern America, such as Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the United States of America, but also in a few countries outside these regions such as India and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In contrast, in most Asian countries in the top 20 – particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council countries Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Malaysia – the number of male international migrants is much larger than the number of female migrants, which is largely related to the structure of their economies (for example, the prevalence of construction and security sector work) as well as social and human security factors.7 Most countries across the 20 largest countries of origin have more male than female emigrants, with countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt having some of widest gaps. 7 Shah et al., 2018; Ullah et al., 2020.6

Migration and migrants: a global overview Figure 3. International migrants, by sex, top 20 destination countries (left) and origin countries (right) (millions)

Immigrants (millions) 0 0 10 20 2 4 6 8 10 12 Emigrants (millions) Sex

Migration and migrants: a global overview Figure 3. International migrants, by sex, top 20 destination countries (left) and origin countries (right) (millions)

Immigrants (millions) 0 0 10 20 2 4 6 8 10 12 Emigrants (millions) Sex Female Male United States of America Germany Saudi Arabia United Kingdom France Spain Canada United Arab Emirates Australia Russian Federation Türkiye Italy Jordan Ukraine India Pakistan Iran (Islamic Republic of) Malaysia Japan Kuwait India China Mexico Ukraine Russian Federation Syrian Arab Republic Bangladesh Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Afghanistan Philippines Pakistan Egypt United Kingdom Romania Poland Myanmar Germany Occupied Palestinian Territory Sudan Indonesia

Source: UN DESA, 2025.

Note: This figure includes territories.

An examination of the proportion of international migrants by sex shows that in the 20 destination countries with the largest number of international migrants, the distribution of female and male migrants is about equal across most countries (Figure 4). The outliers are several Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Malaysia, where the male share is much higher, as well as in Ukraine and India, where the share of female immigrants is significantly higher. The male share of emigrants is higher than the female share in most of the top origin countries (12 out of 20). This is especially the case among the Asian countries, where the male share of emigrants is far higher than the female share (with the exception of China and the Philippines). Among European origin countries, the female share of emigrants is higher than the male share, overall (except for the United Kingdom).7

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026

Figure 4. International migrants, by sex, top 20 destination countries (left)

and origin countries (right) – proportion Immigrants Emigrants Sex Female Male 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% United States of America Germany Saudi Arabia United Kingdom France Spain Canada United Arab Emirates Australia Russian Federation Türkiye Italy Jordan Ukraine India Pakistan Iran (Islamic Republic of) Malaysia Japan Kuwait India China Mexico Ukraine Russian Federation Syrian Arab Republic Bangladesh Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Afghanistan Philippines Pakistan Egypt United Kingdom Romania Poland Myanmar Germany Occupied Palestinian Territory Sudan Indonesia

Source: UN DESA, 2025.

Notes: “Proportion’’ refers to the share of female or male migrants in the total number of immigrants in destination countries (left) or in the total number of emigrants from origin countries (right).

This figure includes territories. Migrant workers The latest available data show that there were nearly 168 million international migrant workers globally in 2022, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the then global stock of international migrants.8 The number of international migrant workers has been growing over time, and during the decade from 2013 to 2022 this number increased by more than 30 million. As shown in Figure 5, most migrant workers have consistently resided in high income countries. Over 114 million (or 68.4%) lived in high income countries in 2022. An additional 29.2 million (17.4%) were living in upper middle income countries, 18.2 million (10.9%) in lower middle income countries and 5.5 million (3.3%) in low income countries. While there was a notable decrease in the number of migrant workers in upper middle income countries 8 This section on migrant workers draws on data and contents in the ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers released by the

countries. While there was a notable decrease in the number of migrant workers in upper middle income countries 8 This section on migrant workers draws on data and contents in the ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers released by the ILO in 2024 and based on 2022 data (see ILO, 2024).8

Migration and migrants: a global overview between 2019 and 2022, both high income and middle income countries – owing to their greater labour market opportunities and higher standards of living – remain the major destinations.9

Figure 5. Migrant workers by destination country income level, 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2022 Low income Low middle income 2013 2019 2022 2017 Upper middle income High income Percentage 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Source: ILO, 2024.

The international migrant worker population remains significantly gendered, with a much larger number of male than female migrant workers worldwide. An estimated 102.7 million migrant workers were male (61.3% of the total) and 64.9 million (38.7%) were female. In addition to this gender concentration, international migrant workers are also geographically concentrated. Over 70 per cent of female migrant workers resided in high income countries. Most male migrant workers (over 67%) were also located in high income countries. Moreover, and as can be seen in Figure 6, 99.6 million or almost 60 per cent of all international migrant workers resided in three subregions: Northern America; the Arab States; and Northern, Southern and Western Europe.10 There is also a very noticeable gender imbalance of migrant workers in two regions: Southern Asia (5 million male workers compared with 2.1 million female workers) and the Arab States (19.2 million male workers compared with 3.4 million female workers). The Arab States region is one of the top destinations for international migrant workers, where they comprise 37.2 per cent of the entire working population, often dominating in key sectors.11 9 ILO, 2024.

with 3.4 million female workers). The Arab States region is one of the top destinations for international migrant workers, where they comprise 37.2 per cent of the entire working population, often dominating in key sectors.11 9 ILO, 2024. 10 The ILO category of “Arab States” includes the following countries and territories: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (ILO, 2024). 11 See ILO, 2024.9

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026

Figure 6. Geographic distribution of migrant workers by sex (millions) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Millions Male Female Arab States Central and Western Asia Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Latin America and the Caribbean Northern Africa Northern America Northern, Southern and Western Europe South-Eastern Asia and the Pacific Southern Asia Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: ILO, 2024.

Note: The figure reflects ILO geographic regions and subregions, and does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Please see Annex A of ILO, 2024 for more information on regional breakdowns. Please note that the rest of this chapter, unless otherwise stated, refers to the UN DESA geographical regions. International migration flows While data on migrant stocks are widely available, data on global migration movements (flows) are much more limited. Available UN DESA estimates on global migrant stocks are extensive and global in scope; however, the UN DESA database of migration flows only encompasses 45 countries.12 Capturing data on migration flows is extremely challenging for several reasons. First, while international migration flows are generally understood to cover inflows into and outflows from countries, there has been a greater focus on recording inflows. For example, while countries such as Australia and the United States record cross-border movements, many other countries only count entries and not departures.13 Additionally, migration flow data in some countries are derived from administrative events

into and outflows from countries, there has been a greater focus on recording inflows. For example, while countries such as Australia and the United States record cross-border movements, many other countries only count entries and not departures.13 Additionally, migration flow data in some countries are derived from administrative events related to immigration status (for example, the issuance or renewal or withdrawal of a residence permit), which are then used as proxies for migration flows. Furthermore, migratory movements are often hard to separate from non‑migratory travel, such as tourism or business.14 Tracking migratory movements also requires considerable resources, infrastructure and ICT or other knowledge systems.15 This poses particular challenges for developing countries, where the ability to collect, administer, analyse and report data on mobility, migration and other areas is often limited. Finally, many countries’ physical geographies pose tremendous challenges for collecting data on 12 UN DESA, 2015. 13 Koser, 2010; McAuliffe and Koser, 2017. 14 Skeldon, 2018. 15 McAuliffe and Sawyer, 2021.10

Migration and migrants: a global overview migration flows. Entry and border management, for example, are particularly challenging in some regions because of archipelagic and isolated borders, and are further complicated by traditions of informal migration for work.16

Measuring global international migration flows using Facebook data Meta has introduced an innovative data set that tracks country-to-country migration flows across 181 nations, drawing on anonymized location information from roughly 3 billion Facebook users. Although it excludes very small nations and places where Facebook access is limited – such as Cuba, China and the Islamic Republic of Iran – the data set captures migration patterns for about 79 per cent of the global population, offering unprecedented coverage and temporal detail.a The methodology follows the United Nations’ recommended definition of migration, describing it as “an instance in which an individual who has resided in a country for more than a year moves to another country, which they then reside in for more than one year”.b This approach ensures conceptual consistency across countries and aligns the data set with established international migration standards. To account

instance in which an individual who has resided in a country for more than a year moves to another country, which they then reside in for more than one year”.b This approach ensures conceptual consistency across countries and aligns the data set with established international migration standards. To account for unequal representation in Facebook usage, the methodology incorporates a reweighting step that calibrates migration estimates using per capita income and national Facebook user coverage. To protect user privacy, the researchers also added noise to data involving country pairs with very few migrants, preserving anonymity without distorting overall migration patterns.c This innovative approach responds to traditional data collection challenges, including the infrequency with which migrant stock data are collected and published, and the fact that most countries do not report on migration flows.d The reliance on digital trace data captured monthly enables researchers to observe how rapidly migration patterns shift, particularly in response to crises or policy changes. For example, the data captured a fivefold increase in migration from Myanmar to Singapore in the wake of a coup in February 2021, a tenfold increase in migration from Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February 2022, and a fifteenfold increase in outflows from Hong Kong SAR, China, after the passage of a security law in June 2020.e An interactive visualization of these global migration patterns can be explored in New York Times, 2025. a Chi et al., 2025. b Ibid. c Ibid. d McAuliffe and Triandafyllidou, 2021. e Chi et al., 2025. There are currently two main data sets on international migration flows that are derived from national statistics: the UN DESA International Migration Flows data set, and the OECD International Migration Database. Since 2005, UN DESA has compiled data on the movements of international migrants to and from selected countries, based on nationally available statistics. At the time of writing (November 2025), there had been no update to the UN DESA flows data set since the 2015 version. The 2015 migration flows data set comprises data from 45 countries, up from 29 countries in 2008 and 15 countries in 2005.17

on nationally available statistics. At the time of writing (November 2025), there had been no update to the UN DESA flows data set since the 2015 version. The 2015 migration flows data set comprises data from 45 countries, up from 29 countries in 2008 and 15 countries in 2005.17 16 Gallagher and McAuliffe, 2016. 17 For UN DESA migration flow data, as well as for the specific countries included, please see UN DESA, 2015.11

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2026

Since 2000, the OECD has compiled data on international migration flows, making it possible to track trends across a subset of major destination countries (see Figure 7). However, the figures are not fully standardized, as noted under Figure 7. Permanent migration inflows declined in 2023 to 9.4 million, following a sharp post-pandemic increase to nearly 10.3 million in 2022.18 The surge in 2022 was driven by humanitarian, labour and family migration pathways, and represented a strong rebound from the reduced inflows of 2020 and 2021, which were constrained by COVID-19 border closures and mobility restrictions. Inflows in 2023, while below 2022 levels, were still well above the years preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with record-high immigration levels in countries such as Canada, Japan, Poland, New Zealand and Switzerland, among others.19 These unprecedented levels