UN says number of international migrants reaches 272 million

The number of international migrants around the world reached an estimated 272 million in 2019, continuing an upward trend, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The increase of 51 million since 2010 means the number of migrants is growing at a faster rate than the world’s population, according to the annual report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

“These data are critical for understanding the important role of migrants and migration in the development of both countries of origin and destination,” Liu Zhenmin, DESA’s under secretary general, said in a statement.

Migrants make up 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared to 2.8 per cent in the year 2000, the international migrant stock report said.

Forced displacements across international borders are rising, with the number of refugees and asylum seekers increasing by around 13 million between 2010 and 2017.

At 82 million, Europe hosts the largest number of international migrants, followed by North America.

At country level, nearly 20 per cent of global migrants are hosted in the U.S. at 51 million.

Germany and Saudi Arabia house the second and third largest numbers of migrants.

In terms of origin countries, around 18 million people born in India live abroad. Migrants from Mexico constitute the second largest diaspora, followed by China and Russia.

The UN’s report also said that most international migrants move between countries located within the same region and that three out of every four migrants are of working age. (dpa/NAN)