BRUSSELS

Migration to countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) fell slightly in 2024, with the sharpest drops seen in several EU member states, according to a new report released Monday.

The OECD International Migration Outlook 2025 showed that around 6.2 million people settled permanently in OECD member countries last year – a 4% fall compared to 2023, following three consecutive years of growth.

Despite the drop, overall migration remained historically high, standing 15% above pre-pandemic levels.

"Migration flows to OECD countries help address labor shortages and support the resilience of OECD economies," Mathias Cormann, the group’s secretary general, said during the report's presentation in Belgium.

US sees increase

The report found that the decline was most pronounced in Europe, where permanent migration fell by an average of 8%. The UK saw one of the steepest decreases at 41%, while drops of more than 10% were also observed in Germany, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and other EU countries.

Only a few European states, including Ireland and the Czech Republic, reported increases.

In contrast to Europe, migration to the US rose sharply by 20%, driven by humanitarian arrivals. The US remained the top destination for new migrants in 2024 – before current President Donald Trump came to office this January – with 1.42 million people settling permanently, followed by Germany (586,000), Canada (484,000), the UK (436,000), and Spain (368,000).

Family reunification remained the primary reason for migration, accounting for 34% of all permanent entries. Labor migration, however, fell 21% compared with previous years, while humanitarian migration expanded significantly, rising from 8% of total inflows in 2019 to 13% in 2024.

The number of new asylum seekers reached a record 3.1 million across OECD countries, up 13% from 2023. The highest numbers were seen in the US, Germany, and Canada, while Belgium ranked 10th with over 33,000 new applications.

Health sector’s dependence on migrants

The report also underlined the importance of migration for the health sector, noting that 22% of doctors and 17% of nurses in OECD countries in 2020-2021 were foreign-born.

The employment rate of immigrants stood at 70.9% last year, compared with 72.1% among native-born populations. Employment among immigrant women rose in two-thirds of OECD countries.

Despite these gains, income disparities remain. Newly arrived immigrants earned 34% less than native-born workers on average, although the gap narrowed to 21% after five years in the host country.