Ranked: Countries Seeing the Fastest Growth in Migrant Populations
Description
Charted: 35 Years of International Migration
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Key Takeaways
- Global migration more than doubled since 1990, reflecting growing international mobility.
- Out of OECD countries, Switzerland has the largest share of migrants at 31.1%. This is more than a 12 percentage point increase compared to 1990.
International migration has expanded at a remarkable pace over the past 35 years. As economies globalized and mobility increased, more people moved across borders for work, safety, and education.
This chart tracks how the share of foreign-born residents has changed across advanced economies since 1990. The data for this visualization comes from the United Nations.
Countries With the Highest Migrant Shares
Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand show some of the highest migration shares among advanced economies.
Each has seen steady increases since 1990, driven by strong labor demand and open migration channels. Smaller economies like Iceland and Austria also experienced rapid growth, transforming their demographic landscapes. These countries have become some of the most internationally diverse populations in the world.
International migrants as a share of population, in OECD countries
| Country | 1990 | 2010 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Switzerland | 18.7% | 26.2% | 31.1% |
 Australia | 23.3% | 26.6% | 30.4% |
 New Zealand | 15.5% | 22.0% | 28.2% |
 Austria | 8.3% | 15.4% | 25.5% |
 Iceland | 3.8% | 11.0% | 25.1% |
 Ireland | 6.5% | 16.5% | 23.1% |
 Canada | 15.3% | 20.6% | 22.2% |
 Sweden | 9.2% | 14.6% | 21.4% |
 Belgium | 9.5% | 14.3% | 20.0% |
 Germany | 8.7% | 14.4% | 19.8% |
 Spain | 2.1% | 13.4% | 18.5% |
 Norway | 4.5% | 10.7% | 18.2% |
 UK | 6.4% | 12.2% | 17.1% |
 Netherlands | 7.9% | 11.0% | 16.2% |
 U.S. | 9.2% | 14.1% | 15.2% |
 Denmark | 4.6% | 9.2% | 14.2% |
 Greece | 6.0% | 11.9% | 14.2% |
 France | 10.3% | 11.5% | 13.8% |
 Italy | 2.7% | 7.8% | 11.0% |
 Portugal | 4.4% | 7.2% | 10.8% |
 Czechia | 4.3% | 6.6% | 9.5% |
 Finland | 1.3% | 4.3% | 9.2% |
