Global Migration Has Roughly Doubled in Number Since 1990

Global Migration Has Roughly Doubled in Number Since 1990

August 26, 2025

The number of international migrants globally has nearly doubled since 1990, to a record 304 million as of 2024. Measured another way, global migrants represent a population that is larger than that of every single country in the world except for India, China, and the United States.

Yet international migrants comprise just 3.7 percent of the global population. While that represents an increase over the 2.9 percent share from 35 years ago, global migrants represent just a tiny fraction of the world’s more than 8.2 billion people.

Number and Share of Global Migrants, 1960-2024

Europe and North America are home to the largest number of migrants globally, while also being the origin of more emigrants than any other region.

Approximately 13 percent of all international migrants are children under age 18. But children are much more likely to be forcibly displaced, accounting for about 40 percent of all 123 million humanitarian migrants worldwide.

Migrants are more likely than natives to be in the global labor force, accounting for approximately one in every 20 workers.

Access the article here: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/top-statistics-global-migration-migrants

Many of the data points featured in the article are also available through MPI’s Migration Data Hub, an essential clearinghouse for interactive data tools, maps, and tables on international and U.S. migration.

Want to stay on top of the latest trends and policy shifts? Subscribe to our Migration Information Source newsletter. Delivered twice per month, the newsletter offers cutting-edge insight from experts within and beyond MPI, plus a guide to new migration-related books, upcoming events, and other exclusive content.

Global Migration Has Roughly Doubled in Number Since 1990

August 26, 2025

The number of international migrants globally has nearly doubled since 1990, to a record 304 million as of 2024. Measured another way, global migrants represent a population that is larger than that of every single country in the world except for India, China, and the United States.

Yet international migrants comprise just 3.7 percent of the global population. While that represents an increase over the 2.9 percent share from 35 years ago, global migrants represent just a tiny fraction of the world’s more than 8.2 billion people.

Number and Share of Global Migrants, 1960-2024

Europe and North America are home to the largest number of migrants globally, while also being the origin of more emigrants than any other region.

Approximately 13 percent of all international migrants are children under age 18. But children are much more likely to be forcibly displaced, accounting for about 40 percent of all 123 million humanitarian migrants worldwide.

Migrants are more likely than natives to be in the global labor force, accounting for approximately one in every 20 workers.

Access the article here: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/top-statistics-global-migration-migrants

Many of the data points featured in the article are also available through MPI’s Migration Data Hub, an essential clearinghouse for interactive data tools, maps, and tables on international and U.S. migration.

Want to stay on top of the latest trends and policy shifts? Subscribe to our Migration Information Source newsletter. Delivered twice per month, the newsletter offers cutting-edge insight from experts within and beyond MPI, plus a guide to new migration-related books, upcoming events, and other exclusive content.