International Migration Trends: Facts and Figures

Global estimates

*In 2005, it is estimated there are between 185-192 million1 migrants worldwide.

*In 2000, there were 175 million international migrants worldwide: one out of every 35 person is an international migrant.

*Migrants represent 2.9 per cent of the global population.

*Of these, almost half (48.6%) are women.

* The stock of international migrants rose from 82 million in 1970 to 175 million in 2000.

Global trends

*Migration flows have shifted in recent years with changing poles of attraction for labour migration.

*In some parts of the world, migrant stock has actually decreased.

*Although the number of Asian migrants has increased from 28.1 million in 1970 to 43.8 million in 2000, Asia’s share of global migrant stock decreased from 34.5 per cent to 25 per cent over the same period.

* Africa has also seen a decline in its share of international migrants: from 12 per cent in 1970 to 9 per cent in 2000.

*This is also true for Latin America and the Caribbean (down from 7.1% to 3.4%); Europe (down from 22.9% to 18.7%) and for Oceania (3.7% to 3.3%).

*Only Northern America and the former USSR have seen a sharp increase in their migrant stock between 1970 and 2000 (from 15.9% to 23.3% for Northern America and 3.8% to 16.8% for the Former USSR). In the latter case however, this increase has more to do with the redefinition of borders than with the actual movement of people.

The stock of international migrants remains concentrated in relatively few countries

*75 per cent of all international migrants are in 12 per cent of all countries.2


Migrant population by regions

*56.1 million in Europe (including European part of former USSR), accounting for 7.7 per cent of European population.

*49.9 million in Asia, accounting for 1.4 per cent of Asian population.

*40.8 million in North America, accounting for 12.9 per cent of the North American population.

*16.3 million in Africa, or 2 per cent of African population.

*5.9 million in Latin America, accounting for 1.1 per cent of Latin American population.

*5.8 million in Australia, accounting for 18.7 per cent of Australian population.

International migrants in selected countries

*Top three migrant receiving countries:

*United States with 35 million migrants accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s migrant stock.

*The Russian Federation with 13.3 million migrants accounts for 7.6 per cent of the world’s migrant stock.

*Germany with 7.3 million migrants accounts for 4.2 per cent of the world’s migrant stock.

*Top three migrant sending countries:


*China with a diaspora estimated at 35 million.

*India with a diaspora estimated at some 20 million.

*The Philippines with some 7 million overseas Filipinos.

*Countries or areas where migrants make up more than 60 per cent of the population: Andorra, Macao Special Administrative Region of China, Guam, the Holy See, Monaco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

International migrants in developed and developing world

*In 2000, 63 per cent of the world’s migrants lived in developed countries and 37 per cent in the developing countries.

Migration is not a one-way street: most countries are both migrant receiving and sending countries3

*In the U.S., for every 4 persons coming in, 1 moved out.

*In Germany and Australia, for every 3 persons coming in, 2 moved out.

*In Japan and Switzerland, for every 3 persons coming in, 1 moved out.

Benefits of migration. One indicator: International Remittances, General Figures

*Total amount of global international remittances in 2003 was US$ 93 billion4 and reached more than US$ 100 billion in 2004. Twice as much money may be sent through informal channels.

*About 20 per cent of annual global international remittances flow into South Asia.

*Top remittances receiving countries in 2002:

1.Mexico received just over US$ 11 billion, or 1.73 per cent of its GDP.
2.India received US$ 8.411 billion, or 1.65 per cent of its GDP.
3.The Philippines5 received US$ 7.363 billion, or 9.45 per cent of its GDP.
4.Egypt received US$ 2.893 billion, or 3.22 per cent of its GDP.
5.Morocco received US$ 2.877 billion, or 8 per cent of its GDP.

*Top remittance-sending countries in 2001:

*US: US$ 28 billion
*Saudi Arabia: US$ 15 billion
*Germany, Belgium and Switzerland (US$ 8 billion each)
*France: US$ 3.9 billion
*Luxembourg: US$ 3.1 billion
*Israel: US$ 3 billion
*Italy: US$ 2.6 billion
*Japan: US$ 2.3 billion