PARIS, 13th November, 2026 (WAM) -- Permanent migration to OECD countries declined by 1.6% in 2025, falling for the second consecutive year, but remained historically high at 6.1 million new permanent immigrants, 12.5% above its 2019 level, according to a new OECD report.
The International Migration Outlook 2026 shows that permanent migration, which broadly covers people moving for family, work or humanitarian reasons with a long-term right to stay, declined in several major destination countries, while inflows continued to increase in others. Family reunification remained the main reason for permanent migration, accounting for 45% of total inflows. Labour migration (20%) increased, while humanitarian migration (10%) declined significantly, falling by 26% in 2025.
Beyond recent migration trends, the report examines how migration can help OECD countries address longer-term economic challenges, including slowing productivity growth and labour shortages linked to ageing populations.
“Migration remains high, and immigrants now account for 16% of employment across the OECD,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “With ageing populations and slower productivity growth, countries cannot afford to waste the skills migrants bring. That means helping migrants move into jobs where they can contribute most, and giving immigrant entrepreneurs better access to finance, networks and business support.”
Immigrants accounted for 12% of the OECD population in 2025, up from 9% in 2015. In just over half of OECD countries, immigrants contributed at least 50% of employment growth between 2014 and 2024. However, the report finds that migration’s contribution to productivity depends on how effectively countries make use of migrants’ skills and support investment and innovation.