The end of 2024 saw more than 83 million people internally displaced -- the highest figure ever recorded in modern history, according to the latest International Organisation for Migration (IOM) World Migration Report 2026.

Growing global instability, fueled by conflicts, violence, climate change, environmental degradation and rapid technological change, is increasingly influencing how and why people move, while also creating new risks for human rights and governance systems.

''These dynamics increasingly converge with economic conditions, demographic change and fragile governance, contributing to a migration landscape that is highly complex, interconnected and politically contested. At the same time, many people around the world face a widening gap between aspirations for mobility and the capabilities or opportunities to move in a safe, orderly and regular way,'' IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.

Highlighted in the report is how environmental disruption is no longer a future risk but a central feature underlying the movement of people. This means that more and more people are moving or being displaced by climate-related disasters that include successive years of record-breaking temperatures, droughts, wildfires and storms. The IOM estimates indicate that there were around 65.8 million internal displacements in 2024 alone, 45.8 million of them associated with disasters and 20.1 million with conflict and violence.

Read AlsoSudan war drives growing numbers towards Europe as crisis spreads

Europe and Asia: top host territories

Europe hosted around 94 million international migrants in 2024, while Asia hosted approximately 92 million. The two regions accounted for 61 percent of the world’s international migrant population, underlining how migration is increasingly concentrated along major economic and demographic corridors. The other territories hosting a large population of migrants included North America with 61 million migrants, equal to 20 percent, followed by Africa at 10 percent, Latin America and the Caribbean at 6 percent, and Oceania at 3 percent.  

The report highlights that while migration remains a defining global phenomenon, the vast majority of people still do not cross international borders.  

Global displacement exceeded 120 million people, including refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons. In 2024, there were an estimated 65.8 million forced movements of people within the borders of their country, the majority linked to disasters. In contrast, about 3.7 percent of the world’s population or about 304 million people, were identified as international migrants. Internal migration within countries remains much larger, with hundreds of millions moving domestically for work, education, or survival.

''Yet public debate often focuses disproportionately on irregular migration, which represents only a small share of global mobility but can create serious protection concerns for migrants and complex policy dilemmas for States. Addressing irregular migration – while expanding safe and regular pathways – remains essential to reducing risks for migrants and supporting effective migration governance,'' Pope pointed out.

Asia recorded the fastest migrant growth between 2005 and 2024, increasing by nearly 41 million people, or 79 percent. Europe followed with an increase of 27 million migrants, while North America and Africa saw increases of 16 million and 14 million respectively. According to the report, these shifts reflect evolving labor markets, ageing populations in wealthier countries, and long-standing migration corridors shaped by geography, colonial history, language, and economic opportunity. 

The IOM report stresses that migration is not random but follows deeply entrenched patterns and continue to evolve as governments tighten borders, labor shortages intensify, and conflicts reshape displacement patterns. 

Read AlsoEurope finds appeal in border fences once again

Remittances as drivers of local developments 

Remittances, the money migrants send home to families and communities, continue to be a pillar of local development for receiving countries. According to the IOM report, international remittance flows continued to rise sharply in 2024, with India, Mexico and the Philippines remaining the world’s top recipients. Together, the three countries received more than 245 billion dollars in remittances last year, illustrating the growing dependence of many economies on money earned abroad. 

The World Bank, which compiles the data, notes that the true scale of remittances is likely much higher because many transfers occur through informal or unrecorded channels. Even so, official figures reveal a dramatic transformation in global financial flows over the past two decades. In 2000, India received just under 11.4 billion euros in remittances. By 2024, that figure had surged to nearly 121.4 billion euros. Mexico received more than 59 billion euros, while the Philippines received over 35.2 billion euros.

The rankings also reveal how migration patterns have shifted. Countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Guatemala and Nigeria are now among the top remittance recipients globally, reflecting the increasing role of labor migration from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Analysts say remittances have become essential lifelines for millions of households, often surpassing foreign aid and direct investment in supporting local economies. 

High-income countries remain the principal sources of these transfers. The United States continued to dominate global remittance outflows in 2024, sending more than 88 billion euros. Saudi Arabia followed with more than 40.5 billion euros, ahead of Switzerland and Germany. The prominence of Gulf countries as remittance hubs reflects the massive migrant workforce employed in sectors such as construction, domestic work and services. 

Researchers warn that conflict or economic disruption in major migrant destination countries such as the Gulf States could have severe consequences for remittance-dependent economies. Any slowdown in labor migration or interruptions in earnings could directly affect millions of families across Asia and Africa who rely on money sent from abroad to pay for food, housing, healthcare and education.

Read AlsoSmall & steady: How migrant remittances from Europe keep families and countries afloat