Migration to developed countries fell for a second straight year in 2025, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report released Thursday.
The OECD’s 38 member countries took in 6.1 million new permanent immigrants in 2025, down 1.6 per cent from 6.2 million the year before. Numbers remain high.
Many Western countries have seen a backlash against irregular migrants fleeing conflict, authoritarian rule and economic hardship in their home countries.
Humanitarian migration through legal channels dropped “sharply” in 2025, falling 26 per cent from 2024, the report found. Labour migration rose 13 per cent.
Despite the overall decline, the number of permanent immigrants was still 12 per cent higher than in 2019.
Three countries recorded a notable spike in permanent immigrants in 2025.
Portugal saw a 139 per cent increase to 313,600 people after it approved a backlog of pending residency permits.
Spain saw a 25 per cent increase to 460,500 people, largely after it broadened its residency policies.
Italy saw a 45 per cent increase to 248,800 people, mostly due to an influx of family and labour migrants.
Other countries saw significant declines.
Canada’s permanent immigrants fell 19 per cent to 393,800 people.
The United States saw a 14 per cent drop but still received the most permanent immigrants of any OECD country, at more than 1.2 million in 2025.
Britain saw a 32 per cent decline to 295,800 people.
Fewer asylum seekers
India remained the top country of origin for migrants to OECD countries in 2024, followed by China and Colombia, according to the latest available figures.
Asylum applications to OECD countries other than the United States fell 22 per cent in 2025 to 1.1 million. That was still about 10 per cent higher than in 2019.
Men continue to make up the majority of migrants to OECD countries. Women accounted for about 46 per cent of new immigrants in 2024, the latest year with available data.
A few OECD countries admitted more women than men. Women made up 54 per cent of new immigrants in the United States and Ireland, 53 per cent in Sweden and 52 per cent in Israel, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.
The OECD said migration offers many countries a chance to boost long-term productivity, particularly as their populations age.
“With the OECD working-age population set to decrease by eight per cent by 2060, pushing overall growth downwards, reviving productivity growth is key to maintaining living standards,” said Mark Pearson, the OECD’s acting director for employment, labour and social affairs.
“Immigrants now account for 16 per cent of employment across the OECD, three percentage points more than a decade ago,” he said.
Labour force participation rates across the OECD remained at historic highs in 2025. In 24 of 34 OECD countries, the participation rate for immigrants averaged 1.5 percentage points higher than for native-born workers, the report said.
The question “is not whether migration is good or bad for productivity, but how policies can maximize its potential,” Pearson said.
