2025 migration trends: Flows increase in Southern Europe but fall in North America

In 2025, immigration to OECD countries fell for the second year, totaling six million new permanent immigrants, a 1.6% decrease from 2024. Labor migration rose by 13%, while humanitarian migration dropped by 26%. The report highlighted regional disparities, with European OECD countries seeing a 4.7% increase, largely driven by Southern Europe—Portugal, Italy, and Spain. Italy expanded labor immigration pathways despite tough rhetoric, while Spain's increase followed a major immigration reform. Portugal's surge was due to a backlog of applications. Excluding these countries, overall immigration would have declined by 8.2%. In France, more Ukrainians gained permanent status after fleeing the war.