By Michalis Zannetos
In 2019, the number of international migrants worldwide reached nearly 272 million, an increase from the 221 million in 2010 and the 174 million in 2000. The fractions were split as follows: 82 million lived in Europe, 59 million in North America, 49 million in North Africa and Western Asia, 24 million in sub-Saharan Africa, 20 million in Central and Southern Asia, 18 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 12 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and lastly, 9 million in Oceania.
The percentage that international migrants comprise in the world population, increased drastically since 2000. In 2000, 2.8% of the world population were international migrants, however in 2019, around 3.5% was calculated. In 2019, around 74% of international migrants were 20 to 64 years of age, with a slight decrease of 16.4% to 14% in migrants younger than 20 years old from 2000 to 2019, and a constant percentage of around 12% was recorded for international migrants 65 years of age and older since 2000.
The total percentage of each region’s migrant population in relation to the total population varied greatly between them. Oceania (21.2%), Northern America (16.0%), Europe (11.0%), and Northern Africa and Western Asia (9.4%) recorded the highest percentage population of international migrants in their total population.
Source: International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 2015 https://gmdac.iom.int/gmdac-migfacts-international-migrationFurthermore, in many parts of the world, migration occurred primarily between countries within the same region. Most international migrants in sub-Saharan Africa (88.9%), Eastern and SouthEastern Asia (83.1%), Latin America and the Caribbean (72.5%), Central and Southern Asia (63.0%), and Europe (51.6) originated from another country in the same region where they used to live. On the other hand, most international migrants that lived in Northern America (97.5%), Oceania (87.9%), and Northern Africa and Western Asia (59.4%) were born in a region other than the one they were previously residing in.
In 2019, two thirds of all international migrants were situated within 20 countries. The largest number of international migrants (51 million) resided in the United States of America, equal to about 19% of the world’s total. Germany and Saudi Arabia hosted the second and third largest numbers of migrants worldwide (around 13 million each), followed by the Russian Federation (12 million), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (10 million), and the United Arab Emirates (9 million).
Women comprised slightly less than half of all international migrants. The percentages show a decrease of migrating women, from 49.3% in 2000 to 47.9% in 2019. The percentages also varied across world regions. In 2019, the percentage of females among all international migrants was highest in Northern America (51.8%) and Europe (51.4%). Oceania (50.4%), Latin America and the Caribbean (49.9%), Central and Southern Asia (49.4%), and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (49.3%) who hosted an almost equal proportion of female and male migrants. The proportion of female migrants was lowest in sub-Saharan Africa (47.5%) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (35.5%).
Moreover, the median age of international migrants worldwide was 39 years in 2019. International migrants living in sub-Saharan Africa were the youngest, with an average age of 30.9 years in 2019, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (33.8 years), Northern Africa and Western Asia (34.0 years), and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (35.7 years). However, migrants were older in Central and Southern Asia (40.8 years), Europe (42.7 years), Oceania (42.9 years), and Northern America (43.5 years).
One out of every seven international migrants was below the age of 20. In 2019, the number of international migrants below age 20 reached 38 million, or 13.9% of the global migrant population. Sub-Saharan Africa hosted the highest proportion of young persons among all international migrants (27.3%), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, and Northern Africa and Western Asia (21.6% each). The ratio of those under age 20 among all migrants was less in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (13.3%), Central and Southern Asia (13.2%), Oceania (11%), Europe, and Northern America (8.8% each).
Three out of every four international migrants were of working age. In 2019, 202 million international migrants, equivalent to 74.2% of global migrants, were between the ages of 20 and 64. More than three quarters of international migrants were of working age in Eastern and SouthEastern Asia (77.4%), Europe (76.8%), and Northern America (75.1%). The percentage of persons of working age among all international migrants was smaller in Northern Africa and Western Asia (73.9%), Central and Southern Asia (70.9%), Oceania (70.3%), Latin America and the Caribbean (68.9%), and sub-Saharan Africa (68.2%).
In 2019, approximately 32 million international migrants, or 11.8% of the global migrant stock, were aged 65 years or over. Oceania recorded the highest percentage of older persons among all international migrants in 2019 (18.8%), followed by Northern America (16.2%), Central and Southern Asia (15.9%), and Europe (14.4%). International migrants aged 65 or over, represented 9.5% of all migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean, 9.2% in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 4.5% in Northern Africa and Western Asia, and 4.5% in sub-Saharan Africa.
Additionally, in 2018 an estimated 688 million USD of migrant remittances were reached globally. Remittances to developing countries have risen from around 76 billion USD in 2000 to an estimated 498 billion USD in 2018. Countries in Europe recorded the highest inflow of remittances in 2018 (173 billion USD), followed by Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (155 billion USD), Central and Southern Asia (142 billion USD), Latin America and the Caribbean (90 billion USD), Northern Africa and Western Asia (69 billion USD), sub-Saharan Africa (46 billion USD), Northern America (9 billion USD), and Oceania (4 billion USD)