Global migration slowed by 27 percent in 2020

Moses Kuwema

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all forms of human mobility through the closing of national borders and halting of travel worldwide, according to a newly released United Nations report.

Preliminary estimates from the International Migration 2020 Highlights, published by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, suggest that the pandemic may have slowed the rise in the number of international migrants by around two million people by mid-2020 — 27 per cent less than the growth expected since mid-2019.

Growth in the number of international migrants has been robust over the last two decades, reaching 281 million people living outside their country of origin in 2020. That number is up from 173 million in 2000, and 221 million in 2010.

The report finds that international migrants currently make up about 3.6 percent of the world’s population.

International Migration Highlights provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by country of destination, origin, age and sex for all countries and areas of the world.

“The report affirms that migration is a part of today’s globalized world and shows how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the livelihoods of millions of migrants and their families and undermined progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

International Migration Highlights’ 2020 edition finds that two thirds of all international migrants live in just 20 countries. The United States remained the largest destination, hosting 51 million international migrants in 2020, equal to 18 percent of the world’s total. Germany hosted the second-largest number of migrants worldwide, at around 16 million, followed by Saudi Arabia (13 million), Russian Federation (12 million) and the United Kingdom (9 million).

Among the major regions of the world, the report finds that the largest number of international migrants in 2020 resided in Europe, with a total of 87 million. North America hosted the second largest number of migrants, with almost 59 million. North Africa and Western Asia followed, with a total of nearly 50 million. India topped the list of countries with the largest diasporas in 2020, with 18 million persons from India living outside of their country of birth.

Other countries with a large transnational community included Mexico and the Russian Federation (11 million each), China (10 million) and Syria (8 million).

Diasporas contribute to the development of their countries of origin through the promotion of foreign investment, trade, access to technology and financial inclusion. However, according to projections by the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic may reduce the volume of remittances sent to low- and middle-income countries from $548 billion in 2019 to $470 billion in 2021, a decline of $78 billion or 14 percent.

The loss has affected the livelihoods of millions of migrants and their families, stalling progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. National strategies and international cooperation will be needed to mitigate the effects of this loss.

Among the report’s other findings is the fact that nearly half of all international migrants in 2020 resided in the region from which they originated.

Europe accounted for the largest share of intra-regional migration, with 70 per cent of migrants born in Europe residing in another European country. The share of intra-regional migration among migrants originating in sub-Saharan Africa was 63 per cent.

At the other end of the spectrum, Central and South Asia had the largest share of its diaspora residing outside the region, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean and North America.

According to the International Migration Highlights report, nearly two thirds of all international migrants live in high-income countries, in contrast with just 31 per cent in middle-income countries and around four percent in low‑income countries. On the other hand, low- and middle-income countries hosted 80 per cent of the world’s refugees in 2020.

Refugees comprise around three percent of all international migrants in high-income countries, compared to 25 percent in middle-income countries and 50 percent in low-income countries.

The report also finds that, in 2020, refugees accounted for 12 percent of all international migrants, up from 9.5 percent in 2000, as forced displacements across national borders continued to rise faster than voluntary migration.

Between 2000 and 2020, the number of people that had fled conflict, crises, persecution, violence or human rights violations doubled, from 17 million to 34 million.

Noting that nearly half of all international migrants in 2020 were women or girls, the report emphasizes that women are often catalysts of change, promoting positive social, cultural and political norms in their communities.

In 2020, the number of female migrants slightly exceeded male migrants in Europe, North America and Oceania, partially due to a higher life expectancy of women over men.

In sub‑Saharan Africa and Western Asia, males tend to significantly exceed the number of females, which is attributed to the phenomenon of temporary labour migration.

International migrants often make up a larger proportion of working age persons compared to the national population.

According to the report, 73 per cent of all international migrants in 2020 were between the ages of 20 and 64, compared to 57 percent for the total population. The ratio of persons aged 65 or older per 100 persons aged 20 to 64 years — known as old-age dependency ratio — in high‑income countries would have been nearly 3 percentage points higher in 2020, in the absence of any international migrants.

With the adoption of landmark agreements by the General Assembly, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, countries have begun to adopt measures to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration. Globally, 54 percent of the 111 Governments that responded to a recent survey reported having such policies.