Migration to OECD countries fell slightly last year, especially in the EU
Permanent migration to countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) decreased by 4 per cent in 2024, according to a new OECD report published on Monday.
Around 6.2 million people settled permanently in member states last year, equivalent to nine newcomers per 1,000 inhabitants. While this marks a small decline from the record 6.5 million in 2023, migration levels remain “historically high,” about 15 per cent higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, said OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann.
Top destinations
Five countries received the majority of all migrants. The United States led the list with 1.42 million newcomers, followed by Germany (586,000), Canada (484,000), the United Kingdom (436,000) and Spain (368,000).
Under the previous US administration led by Democrat Joe Biden, the number of people entering for humanitarian reasons rose significantly, with total US arrivals up by one-fifth.
In contrast, migration to the European Union fell by an average of 8 per cent, with only Ireland and the Czech Republic recording increases. In Belgium, migration remained stable, with 160,200 people settling in the country, virtually unchanged from the previous year.
Family reunification
Family-related migration, primarily through family reunification, remained the most common reason for moving to OECD countries, accounting for 34 per cent of all cases. Labour migration, however, fell by 21 per cent compared with previous years, while humanitarian migration increased sharply. In 2019, only 8 per cent of migrants arrived for humanitarian reasons; by 2024, that share had risen to 13 per cent. Asylum applications reached a record 3.1 million, up 13 per cent from 2023.
The United States, Germany and Canada received the highest numbers, while Belgium ranked tenth, registering over 33,000 new asylum applications, a 13 per cent rise on the previous year.
Integration into labour markets
The report also notes that migrants are increasingly integrated into the labour market. In 2024, 71 per cent of people with a migration background were employed, compared with 72 per cent among the native-born population. Unemployment among newcomers fell below 10 per cent, and female employment increased, even as men’s employment declined slightly in about a third of OECD countries.
The OECD, founded in 1960 and now comprising 38 member states, includes Belgium among its twenty founding members.
© PHOTO BENOIT BOURGEOIS / HANS LUCAS COLLECTION
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