Permanent migration to the world’s developed countries fell by 4 percent in 2024, though total numbers remain well above pre-COVID levels.
A new OECD report found last year’s drop followed three years of significant increases, with 6.2 million new permanent immigrants tor member countries, a figure that was still 15 percent above 2019 levels.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said The International Migration Outlook 2025 showed the biggest declines were of 56 percent in New Zealand and 41 percent in the United Kingdom.
Australia remained almost flat with a 0.3 percent increase.
Secretary-General Cormann said family reunification remained the leading reason for permanent migration to OECD countries, while labour migration declined.
“Migration flows to OECD countries help address labour shortages and support the resilience of OECD economies,” he said.
“Effective migration policies are needed to manage associated pressures on public services and facilitate labour market integration of new arrivals.”
Secretary-General Cormann said OECD countries welcomed over 1.8 million new international tertiary-education students, 13 percent fewer than in 2023.
He said this decline was primarily due to decreasing inflows to all top four receiving countries: United States (390 000 new international students, ‑12 percent compared to 2023); the United Kingdom (389 000, ‑14 percent); Canada (213 100, ‑39 percent) and Australia (182 000, ‑22 percent).
The report also looked trainee numbers and other national temporary worker programs, which decreased by 7 percent with drops in key settlement countries like Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
It also highlighted long-term migration under free movement, reporting flows between Australia and New Zealand rose, with arrivals in Australia up 13 percent, the highest level in a decade.
Read the full report: The International Migration Outlook 2025.
