OECD: permanent migration to developed countries fell 1.6% in 2025, second yearly drop

Right · 2Migration to developed countries fell for a second year in a row in 2025, down 1.6% from the previous year, according to an OECD report published on 12 November. 1 2 Right · 2The 38 OECD member countries recorded 6.1 million new permanent immigrants in 2025, compared with 6.2 million the year before; the number settling long term was still 12% above 2019. 1 2 Right · 1Legal humanitarian migration dropped "sharply" by 26% in 2025 compared with 2024, while labour migration increased by 13%. 1

Right · 2Portugal (up 139% to 313,600), Spain (up 25% to 460,500) and Italy (up 45% to 248,800) saw notable rises; the report attributes Portugal's to approvals of a backlog of residency permits, Spain's to broader residency policies and Italy's largely to family and labour migration. 1 2 Right · 2The United States fell 14% but still led the OECD with more than 1.2 million permanent migrants; Canada fell 19% to 393,800 and the United Kingdom 32% to 295,800. 1 2 Right · 1There were 1.1 million asylum applications in 2025, a 22% decrease for OECD countries excluding the United States, though about 10% above 2019. India remained the top country of origin in 2024, ahead of China and Colombia, and women made up about 46% of new immigrants that year. 1

Right · 1Mark Pearson, the OECD's acting director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, said immigrants now account for 16% of OECD employment, 3 percentage points more than a decade ago, and that the question is not whether migration is good or bad for productivity but how policies can maximise its potential. 1 Right · 2The OECD noted that migration can boost long-term productivity as populations age, with the working-age population projected to fall 8% by 2060. AFP's report adds that there has been a backlash in many Western countries against irregular migrants. 1 2