US: 2025 OECD Migration Decline, Still Leads Permanent Migrants

• Overall migration to developed OECD countries declined by 1.6% in 2025, marking the second consecutive annual decrease.
• Legal humanitarian migration dropped sharply by 26% in 2025, while labor migration increased by 13%.
• The United States remained the top destination for permanent migrants in the OECD with over 1.2 million in 2025, despite a 14% decline.
• Portugal, Spain, and Italy saw significant increases in permanent migrants due to policy changes and permit processing.
• Immigrants now represent 16% of employment across OECD nations, with their labor participation rates often exceeding those of native-born workers.

Legal humanitarian migration dropped sharply by 26% in 2025 compared to 2024, while labor migration saw a notable increase of 13%.

Migration to developed nations experienced a second consecutive year of decline in 2025, according to a recent report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The total number of new permanent immigrants across the 38 OECD countries reached 6.1 million, representing a 1.6% decrease from the 6.2 million recorded in the preceding year.

Despite this overall downturn, the United States continued to lead all OECD member states in attracting permanent migrants. Even with a 14% reduction in its intake, the US welcomed over 1.2 million permanent migrants in 2025. This figure underscores the significant role the US plays in global immigration trends 2025, even as overall numbers contract.

While 2025 marked a general contraction in annual migration, it is important to note the longer-term perspective. The number of permanent immigrants settling for the long term in 2025 was still 12% higher compared to figures from 2019, indicating that the recent declines follow a period of growth.

The 2025 OECD migration decline US and global figures reveal a significant shift in the composition of migratory movements. Legal humanitarian migration experienced a sharp decrease, plummeting by 26% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This substantial humanitarian migration drop 2025 occurred amidst a backdrop of increased scrutiny and policy changes in many Western countries regarding the arrival of individuals fleeing conflict, authoritarian regimes, and economic hardship.

In contrast to the decline in humanitarian pathways, labor migration saw a notable increase of 13%. This rise in labour migration increase OECD suggests a growing demand for foreign workers in member countries. Furthermore, asylum applications to OECD countries (excluding the United States) also saw a decrease, falling by 22% to 1.1 million in 2025, though this number remained approximately 10% higher than 2019 levels.

The broader trend of declining migration was not uniformly distributed across all OECD nations, with several countries experiencing significant increases in permanent migrants. Portugal, for instance, saw a remarkable 139% surge, welcoming 313,600 individuals, largely attributed to the approval of a backlog of pending residency permits. Spain also recorded a substantial 25% increase, reaching 460,500 people, following the implementation of broadened residency policies. Italy experienced a 45% rise to 248,800 people, primarily driven by an influx of family and labor migration.

Conversely, several other nations mirrored the overall decline observed in the US permanent migrants 2025 statistics. Canada registered a 19% decrease, admitting 393,800 people, while the United Kingdom saw a more pronounced 32% reduction, with 295,800 individuals. The latest available data from 2024 indicates that India remained the leading country of origin for migratory flows into the OECD, ahead of China and Colombia.

The OECD International Migration Outlook 2025 highlights the critical role migration plays in addressing long-term economic and demographic challenges. The organization emphasizes that migration offers a vital opportunity to boost productivity, particularly in the face of aging populations across many developed nations. Mark Pearson, the OECD's acting director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, noted that the OECD working-age population is projected to shrink by 8% by 2060, making productivity growth essential for maintaining living standards.

Immigrants have become an increasingly integral part of the labor force within the OECD, now accounting for 16% of total employment, a three-percentage-point increase over the last decade. In 2025, migrant labor participation rates were, on average, 1.5 percentage points higher than those of native-born workers in 24 out of 34 OECD countries. Data from 2024 also shows that women constituted approximately 46% of new immigrants, with the United States and Ireland admitting 54% female immigrants, Sweden 53%, and Israel, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand 52%.

Lawyers advising clients on immigration, international recruitment, or global mobility should note the significant decline in overall migration to developed countries in 2025, particularly humanitarian migration, alongside an increase in labor migration. These shifting trends, and varied country-specific outcomes (e.g., US decline vs. Spain/Portugal increase due to policy/processing), are crucial for informing strategic planning, client advice on visa applications, talent acquisition, and compliance with evolving immigration landscapes.

Source: Original reporting via Agence France-Presse