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December 27, 2025 Article/Editing:

Mapped: A Snapshot of Global Migration

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Key Takeaways

Global migration is at an all-time high, with 304 million people living outside their country of birth.

A small number of destination countries dominate, with the U.S. hosting more migrants than the next four countries combined.

Economic opportunity and crisis drive different migration patterns, from labor mobility in India and China to forced displacement from Ukraine, Syria, and Venezuela.

Some economies depend fundamentally on migrants, particularly Gulf states where foreign-born workers make up the majority of the population.

People have moved across the globe since time immemorial.

In the modern era, migration is often driven by the pursuit of better economic opportunities, improved quality of life, or the desire to reunite with family.

Yet when viewed in aggregate, migration becomes far more than a series of individual decisions. It is a complex global force that reshapes societies, economies, and cultures within countries around the world.

This map visualization by Idwardi Ishak uses data from the United Nations and Migration Data Portal to show a snapshot of global migration in 2024.

Global Migration Data by Country or Territory

The below table breaks down total migrants by country or territory, as well as the percentage of migrants of the total population.

RankCountry/TerritoryTotal Number of MigrantsMigrants as % of Total Population

1	🇺🇸 United States	52,375,047	15.2
2	🇩🇪 Germany	16,750,084	19.8
3	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	13,683,841	40.3
4	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	11,845,479	17.1
5	🇫🇷 France	9,186,757	13.8
6	🇪🇸 Spain	8,870,527	18.5
7	🇨🇦 Canada	8,805,839	22.2
8	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	8,157,000	74.0
9	🇦🇺 Australia	8,111,404	30.4
10	🇷🇺 Russia	7,605,774	5.3
11	🇹🇷 Turkey	7,083,501	8.1
12	🇮🇹 Italy	6,553,671	11.0
13	🇯🇴 Jordan	5,280,168	45.7
14	🇺🇦 Ukraine	5,064,173	13.4
15	🇮🇳 India	4,796,255	0.3
16	🇵🇰 Pakistan	4,175,958	1.7
17	🇮🇷 Iran	3,840,654	4.2
18	🇲🇾 Malaysia	3,806,514	10.7
19	🇯🇵 Japan	3,409,529	2.8
20	🇰🇼 Kuwait	3,323,191	67.4
21	🇹🇭 Thailand	3,179,399	4.4
22	🇨🇴 Colombia	3,063,518	5.8
23	🇭🇰 Hong Kong	3,063,318	41.3
24	🇳🇱 Netherlands	2,956,518	16.2
25	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	2,906,338	1.7
26	🇨🇮 Ivory Coast	2,880,839	9.0
27	🇸🇬 Singapore	2,841,665	48.7
28	🇨🇭 Switzerland	2,773,840	31.1
29	🇿🇦 South Africa	2,631,100	4.1
30	🇸🇩 Sudan	2,397,113	4.8
31	🇧🇪 Belgium	2,349,032	20.0
32	🇶🇦 Qatar	2,337,000	76.7
33	🇦🇹 Austria	2,327,064	25.5
34	🇴🇲 Oman	2,283,366	43.2
35	🇸🇪 Sweden	2,272,158	21.4
36	🇮🇱 Israel	2,091,569	22.3
37	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	2,089,797	10.2
38	🇺🇬 Uganda	2,057,759	4.1
39	🇦🇷 Argentina	1,958,039	4.3
40	🇵🇪 Peru	1,837,219	5.4
41	🇰🇷 South Korea	1,811,507	3.5
42	🇵🇱 Poland	1,739,901	4.5
43	🇲🇽 Mexico	1,726,089	1.3
44	🇨🇳 China	1,638,718	0.1
45	🇨🇱 Chile	1,538,324	7.8
46	🇳🇿 New Zealand	1,467,989	28.2
47	🇬🇷 Greece	1,423,964	14.2
48	🇱🇧 Lebanon	1,422,583	24.5
49	🇧🇷 Brazil	1,406,299	0.7
50	🇳🇬 Nigeria	1,403,281	0.6
51	🇹🇩 Chad	1,269,673	6.3
52	🇻🇪 Venezuela	1,263,304	4.5
53	🇮🇪 Ireland	1,216,237	23.1
54	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	1,168,455	0.9
55	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	1,154,963	3.2
56	🇪🇬 Egypt	1,139,820	1.0
57	🇹🇼 Taiwan	1,136,425	4.9
58	🇵🇹 Portugal	1,127,184	10.8
59	🇨🇩 DR Congo	1,085,090	1.0
60	🇧🇾 Belarus	1,054,604	11.6
61	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	1,025,199	9.6
62	🇳🇴 Norway	1,012,404	18.2
63	🇰🇪 Kenya	992,536	1.8
64	🇸🇸 South Sudan	914,001	7.7
65	🇱🇾 Libya	897,751	12.2
66	🇸🇾 Syria	896,042	3.6
67	🇩🇰 Denmark	847,475	14.2
68	🇧🇭 Bahrain	840,202	52.3
69	🇪🇨 Ecuador	747,749	4.1
70	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	739,820	3.1
71	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	738,667	6.5
72	🇷🇸 Serbia	712,550	10.6
73	🇭🇺 Hungary	689,565	7.1
74	🇦🇴 Angola	676,507	1.8
75	🇷🇴 Romania	655,579	3.5
76	🇨🇲 Cameroon	642,948	2.2
77	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	628,404	12.3
78	🇲🇱 Mali	545,323	2.2
79	🇬🇭 Ghana	532,286	1.6
80	🇭🇷 Croatia	527,831	13.6
81	🇫🇮 Finland	514,432	9.2
82	🇷🇼 Rwanda	513,316	3.6
83	🇵🇦 Panama	477,749	10.6
84	🇳🇵 Nepal	470,719	1.6
85	🇹🇿 Tanzania	462,371	0.7
86	🇬🇦 Gabon	449,746	17.7
87	🇳🇪 Niger	449,236	1.7
88	🇮🇩 Indonesia	445,726	0.2
89	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	429,108	2.6
90	🇲🇴 Macau	426,862	59.3
91	🇧🇯 Benin	418,202	2.9
92	🇾🇪 Yemen	392,997	1.0
93	🇧🇮 Burundi	387,101	2.8
94	🇨🇬 Congo	385,589	6.1
95	🇮🇶 Iraq	370,980	0.8
96	🇲🇿 Mozambique	353,143	1.0
97	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	344,309	51.2
98	🇻🇳 Vietnam	326,418	0.3
99	🇸🇰 Slovakia	323,991	5.9
100	🇸🇮 Slovenia	315,122	14.9
101	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	299,100	4.4
102	🇹🇬 Togo	281,994	3.0
103	🇸🇳 Senegal	281,867	1.5
104	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	276,777	2.6
105	🇦🇲 Armenia	274,645	9.2
106	🇵🇸 Palestine	272,481	5.0
107	🇩🇿 Algeria	259,458	0.6
108	🇿🇲 Zambia	249,205	1.2
109	🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	248,930	13.2
110	🇬🇲 Gambia	236,137	8.6
111	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	223,323	6.9
112	🇱🇻 Latvia	220,471	11.8
113	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	218,460	2.1
114	🇪🇪 Estonia	203,046	14.9
115	🇨🇾 Cyprus	202,062	14.9
116	🇲🇹 Malta	199,466	37.0
117	🇲🇷 Mauritania	195,937	3.8
118	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	194,816	2.7
119	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	193,763	2.6
120	🇲🇩 Moldova	188,207	6.2
121	🇲🇼 Malawi	186,719	0.9
122	🇧🇴 Bolivia	183,234	1.5
123	🇵🇾 Paraguay	180,837	2.6
124	🇱🇹 Lithuania	175,194	6.1
125	🇺🇾 Uruguay	160,064	4.7
126	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	150,902	8.3
127	🇾🇹 Mayotte	143,528	44.0
128	🇷🇪 Réunion	135,534	15.4
129	🇬🇫 French Guiana	130,924	42.4
130	🇩🇯 Djibouti	125,996	10.8
131	🇧🇳 Brunei	119,933	25.9
132	🇬🇳 Guinea	117,416	0.8
133	🇧🇼 Botswana	116,402	4.6
134	🇳🇦 Namibia	116,035	3.8
135	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	113,478	7.5
136	🇲🇦 Morocco	111,069	0.3
137	🇮🇸 Iceland	98,818	25.1
138	🇦🇫 Afghanistan	98,110	0.2
139	🇨🇫 Central African Republic	94,556	1.8
140	🇬🇹 Guatemala	92,732	0.5
141	🇲🇪 Montenegro	92,237	14.5
142	🇬🇵 Guadeloupe	89,610	23.9
143	🇵🇭 Philippines	87,212	0.1
144	🇯🇪 Channel Islands	85,539	50.9
145	🇬🇺 Guam	84,159	50.2
146	🇰🇭 Cambodia	83,925	0.5
147	🇬🇪 Georgia	81,582	2.1
148	🇨🇼 Curaçao	80,020	43.1
149	🇲🇲 Myanmar	79,052	0.2
150	🇸🇴 Somalia	77,972	0.4
151	🇳🇨 New Caledonia	76,738	26.2
152	🇲🇻 Maldives	75,099	14.2
153	🇦🇼 Aruba	73,494	68.0
154	🇱🇷 Liberia	72,423	1.3
155	🇧🇿 Belize	68,706	16.5
156	🇲🇶 Martinique	68,187	19.9
157	🇧🇸 Bahamas	67,285	16.8
158	🇹🇳 Tunisia	63,201	0.5
159	🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands	56,779	66.9
160	🇧🇹 Bhutan	55,705	7.0
161	🇬🇾 Guyana	54,175	6.5
162	🇸🇷 Suriname	51,902	8.2
163	🇱🇦 Laos	51,446	0.7
164	🇰🇵 North Korea	50,439	0.2
165	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	49,997	0.6
166	🇦🇩 Andorra	48,408	59.1
167	🇦🇱 Albania	46,377	1.7
168	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	43,757	0.6
169	🇮🇲 Isle of Man	43,693	51.9
170	🇸🇻 El Salvador	43,342	0.7
171	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	40,698	0.2
172	🇭🇳 Honduras	39,901	0.4
173	🇲🇬 Madagascar	38,625	0.1
174	🇧🇧 Barbados	35,187	12.5
175	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	34,120	1.1
176	🇸🇿 Eswatini	33,268	2.7
177	🇰🇾 Cayman Islands	31,935	42.9
178	🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	31,171	0.3
179	🇧🇶 Bonaire	30,676	100.0
180	🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda	30,473	32.5
181	🇸🇽 Sint Maarten	30,148	43.0
182	🇵🇫 French Polynesia	30,099	10.7
183	🇲🇺 Mauritius	29,142	2.3
184	🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands	28,455	61.1
185	🇱🇮 Liechtenstein	27,669	69.4
186	🇲🇨 Monaco	27,106	70.2
187	🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands	24,520	62.1
188	🇯🇲 Jamaica	24,007	0.9
189	🇦🇸 American Samoa	23,684	50.6
190	🇲🇳 Mongolia	22,589	0.7
191	🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands	22,000	49.7
192	🇧🇲 Bermuda	20,171	31.2
193	🇭🇹 Haiti	19,581	0.2
194	🇨🇻 Cape Verde	16,515	3.2
195	🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	15,064	0.7
196	🇱🇸 Lesotho	15,039	0.6
197	🇫🇯 Fiji	14,362	1.6
198	🇸🇨 Seychelles	13,261	10.2
199	🇪🇷 Eritrea	12,512	0.4
200	🇰🇲 Comoros	12,449	1.4
201	🇬🇮 Gibraltar	11,291	28.7
202	🇩🇲 Dominica	8,440	12.8
203	🇹🇱 East Timor	8,303	0.6
204	🇫🇴 Faroe Islands	8,101	14.6
205	🇱🇨 Saint Lucia	8,079	4.5
206	🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis	7,958	17.0
207	🇬🇩 Grenada	7,340	6.3
208	🇦🇮 Anguilla	5,918	40.5
209	🇸🇲 San Marino	5,838	17.4
210	🇬🇱 Greenland	5,812	10.4
211	🇪🇭 Western Sahara	5,628	1.0
212	🇵🇼 Palau	5,212	29.5
213	🇨🇰 Cook Islands	4,937	36.0
214	🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	4,820	4.8
215	🇼🇸 Samoa	3,843	1.8
216	🇹🇴 Tonga	3,581	3.4
217	🇻🇺 Vanuatu	3,315	1.0
218	🇲🇭 Marshall Islands	3,309	8.8
219	🇰🇮 Kiribati	3,302	2.5
220	🇫🇲 Micronesia	2,894	2.6
221	🇳🇷 Nauru	2,548	21.3
222	🇸🇧 Solomon Islands	2,469	0.3
223	🇫🇰 Falkland Islands	2,333	67.2
224	🇨🇺 Cuba	2,144	0.0
225	🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna	2,032	18.0
226	🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe	1,955	0.8
227	🇹🇰 Tokelau	1,282	3.0
228	🇵🇲 Saint Pierre and Miquelon	1,008	17.9
229	🇳🇺 Niue	588	32.3
230	🇻🇦 Vatican City	496	100.0
231	🇸🇭 Saint Helena	492	9.4
232	🇹🇻 Tuvalu	246	2.6

As of 2024, the world’s migrant population has reached 304 million people, reflecting a steady rise in cross-border movement.

The United States continues to stand apart as the world’s pre-eminent destination, hosting 52.4 million migrants, which is more than the next four destination countries combined.

Other major recipients include Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, underscoring how advanced economies and energy-rich states rely heavily on foreign-born workers to sustain growth, fill labor shortages, and offset aging populations.

Origin Stories: Where Global Migrants Come From

Looking at where migrants come from tells a different story. India and China remain the largest sources of people living abroad, a reflection of their vast populations and deep integration into global labor markets. In these cases, migration is often driven by economic opportunity rather than displacement.

By contrast, countries such as Ukraine, Syria, and Venezuela illustrate how conflict, political instability, and economic collapse can rapidly reshape migration flows. In these cases, migration is less a choice than a necessity, with sudden surges driven by crises that spill across borders.

Where Migrants Make Up the Majority

One of the most striking patterns in the data appears in the Gulf states. Countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait have some of the highest migrant-to-population ratios in the world, with foreign-born residents accounting for a majority of the workforce.

These economies depend heavily on migrant labor across construction, services, and energy-related industries.

Small island territories and city-states—such as Monaco, Luxembourg, and Singapore—also report exceptionally high shares of migrants, reflecting their openness, economic specialization, and limited domestic labor pools.

At the other end of the spectrum, much of Africa and South America remains characterized by relatively modest levels of immigration when measured as a share of population. That said, internal and regional mobility is increasing, suggesting that migration pressures are shifting rather than disappearing.

Migration as a Structural Force

Taken together, the data depict a world in which migration is no longer the exception but the norm. Labor demand in wealthy nations, demographic aging, and persistent instability in parts of the developing world ensure that borders—however politicized—remain porous to people as well as to goods and capital.

As governments grapple with immigration policy, the underlying forces driving migration continue to intensify, making it one of the defining economic and social dynamics of the 21st century.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Which U.S. cities have the biggest migrant communities by share of population? See this map to find out.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.