The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released its Asia–Pacific Migration Data Report 2025, revealing a region undergoing profound upheaval as conflict, climate impacts and labour mobility reshape migration at unprecedented scale.
Key takeaways
- Asia–Pacific remains the world’s largest source of migrants, with 90.6 million people living abroad in 2024.
- Conflict and climate shocks drove record displacement, with over 42 million people uprooted across the region last year.
- Rising deaths and trafficking risks highlight urgent gaps in protection and the need for stronger, evidence-based migration governance.
The report shows that Asia and the Pacific remains the world’s leading region of origin for international migrants, accounting for one in every three migrants globally.
The number of people from the region living abroad climbed to 90.6 million in 2024, up nearly 9 million since 2020, underscoring the enduring economic pull of global labour markets.
India, China, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Philippines continue to dominate global origin rankings.
Within the region, the stock of migrant workers reached 27.2 million, with women representing 41 per cent of that workforce, a trend that places renewed emphasis on gender-responsive labour protections.
But alongside mobility, the report outlines a year marked by escalating crises. Conflict-induced displacement hit a record 18.11 million people in 2024, nearly double the number from a decade ago.
The region also remained the world’s most disaster-prone, forcing 23.97 million new internal displacements linked to disasters in 2024, an 88 per cent jump from the previous year.
“These figures show how intertwined conflict, climate and mobility have become,” said IOM Regional Director Iori Kato. “This is more than data, it is a call to action for coordinated, humane and forward-looking migration solutions.”
Protection risks also intensified. 2024 became the deadliest year on record for migrants from the region, with 2,745 deaths and disappearances, a 33 per cent rise.
Trafficking for forced criminality remains a major concern, especially in Myanmar and Cambodia, which together accounted for nearly all cases identified by IOM across seven Southeast Asian nations.
The report urges governments to strengthen cross-border coordination, expand data systems and invest in inclusive policies that protect people on the move.
As the region confronts overlapping crises, IOM argues that evidence-based policymaking will be central to building resilience.
“Reliable data is the foundation of effective migration governance,” said Olga Aymerich, who leads the organization’s Regional Data Hub. “Turning evidence into solutions is how we save lives and ensure safer, more orderly migration.”
The 2025 edition serves as a key reference for policymakers as Asia-Pacific countries work toward the SDGs and commitments under the Global Compact for Migration.
