The overwhelming majority of people migrate internationally for reasons related to work, family and study, involving migration processes that largely occur without fundamentally challenging either migrants or the countries they enter. This migration is mostly safe, orderly and regular. In contrast, other people leave their homes and countries for a range of compelling and sometimes tragic reasons, such as conflict, persecution and disaster. While those who have been displaced, such as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), comprise a relatively small proportion of people who have moved overall.

Chart: Joe DramigaSource: World Migration Report by the International Organization for MigrationGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper

Share of the Global Migrant Population from 1990 to 2020