OECD Reports Second Year of Declining Permanent Migration

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that permanent migration across its 38 member countries fell for the second consecutive year in 2025. According to the International Migration Outlook 2026, member nations recorded 6.1 million new permanent immigrants, a 1.6 percent decrease from 2024, though figures remain 12.5 percent higher than 2019 levels.

Migration trends diverged by category, as legal humanitarian migration dropped by 26 percent while labor migration increased by 13 percent. National results varied significantly. The United States remained the leading destination with over 1.2 million immigrants despite a 14 percent decline. The United Kingdom and Canada saw sharper drops of 32 percent and 19 percent, respectively. In contrast, Southern European nations saw spikes: Portugal's figures rose 139 percent due to residency permit backlogs, Italy's rose 46 percent through expanded labor pathways, and Spain's rose 25 percent following a May 2025 reform.

India emerged as the primary country of origin for migratory flows in 2024 and the most frequent source of new citizens. Between 2020 and 2024, approximately 9.25 lakh Indians obtained nationality in OECD countries, a 41 percent increase over the previous five-year period. However, the number of Indian-origin migrants moving to these countries fell 19 percent between 2023 and 2024.

OECD leadership emphasized the economic necessity of migration. Secretary-General Mathias Cormann stated that member countries must better utilize migrant skills to combat ageing populations, while Mark Pearson noted that the working-age population is projected to decrease by 8 percent by 2060.