OECD migration decline continued in 2025, with permanent arrivals falling 1.6 per cent across 38 member countries to 6.1 million

Migration to developed countries declined for the second consecutive year in 2025, with the number of new permanent immigrants to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries falling by 1.6 per cent, according to a report published on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

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The 38 OECD member countries recorded approximately 6.1 million new permanent immigrants in 2025, down from 6.2 million in 2024.

Despite the decline, the figure remained historically high, standing 12 per cent above the 2019 level, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel and migration patterns.

The report also highlighted significant changes in the reasons people migrated. Legal humanitarian migration fell sharply by 26 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year, while labour migration increased by 13 per cent.

The figures emerged amid growing political opposition to irregular migration in several Western countries, where governments have faced pressure to tighten immigration controls and review policies on people arriving from conflict, authoritarian rule and economic hardship.

However, migration trends varied considerably across individual countries, with Portugal, Spain and Italy recording notable increases in permanent arrivals.

Portugal experienced the largest rise, with permanent migration increasing by 139 per cent to 313,600 people. The increase was largely attributed to the processing and approval of a backlog of pending residency permits.

Spain recorded a 25 per cent increase to 460,500 permanent immigrants, following changes to its residency policies that widened access to legal residence.

Italy also recorded a 45 per cent increase, reaching 248,800 people, largely driven by family migration and labour-related arrivals.

In contrast, several major destinations experienced declines in permanent immigration.

The United States recorded a 14 per cent decrease but remained the largest destination among OECD countries, receiving more than 1.2 million permanent immigrants in 2025.

The United Kingdom and Canada also recorded significant falls, according to the report’s findings.

The OECD figures suggest that while overall permanent migration is easing, international movement remains substantial, with individual countries experiencing different trends depending on their immigration policies, labour needs and residency procedures.

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The latest decline follows a 4 per cent reduction in permanent migration to OECD countries in 2024, marking a second consecutive year of falling arrivals after several years of increases following the pandemic.