Internal migration shifts labor markets and housing demand as people relocate within countries for work and services. In 2023, new internal displacement cases driven by conflict and disasters reached 8.9 million globally, adding pressure to cities already absorbing population gains. The following statistics connect these moves to employment, service access, and rental affordability across countries.
Key Takeaways
- In India, India’s urban population reached about 34% in 2019; internal migration contributes to urbanization growth
- In Indonesia, the urban population share was 56.0% in 2022, with internal rural-to-urban migration contributing to urban growth
- In Brazil, the urban population share was 87.1% in 2022, consistent with decades of internal migration to cities
- The World Bank estimates that internal migration can account for a large share of poverty reduction effects via better labor market access, but estimates of impact vary by context
- The IZA paper “Internal Migration and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Developing Countries” reports statistically significant differences in employment rates between migrants and non-migrants
- In Mexico, about 12.1 million people aged 12+ were internal migrants (moved within Mexico) according to the 2020 census-based estimates reported by INEGI
- In Germany, the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) estimates that short-distance moves within regions represent the largest share of internal migration, measured in millions annually
- In the World Bank’s 2023 report on internal migration and housing, it highlights that housing shortages in destination cities are directly linked to internal migration pressures
- The OECD reports that housing affordability pressures worsen with increasing population in cities; migration can raise demand, affecting rental prices (measured impact depends on city)
- IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) provides counts of internally displaced persons (IDPs); for example, it reports on millions displaced in active crises (context for internal migration-like displacement)
- IDMC reported that 2023 saw 8.9 million new internal displacement cases globally due to conflict and disasters (new displacements)
- UNHCR reported that people forced to move within countries (internal displacement) remained at tens of millions during 2023, with ongoing displacement tracking
- The World Bank’s Internal Migration brief notes that migrants face higher barriers to services; it emphasizes measurable indicators like access gaps for health and education
- The OECD reports that spatial mobility affects regional productivity; internal migration contributes to reallocation of labor across areas
- IMF research finds that domestic labor mobility affects macroeconomic outcomes such as output and productivity; internal migration is a key mechanism (measured effects reported)
Internal migration is reshaping cities, labor markets, and housing access, influencing poverty reduction and inequality worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics & Flows3 stats
01
In India, India’s urban population reached about 34% in 2019; internal migration contributes to urbanization growth
02
In Indonesia, the urban population share was 56.0% in 2022, with internal rural-to-urban migration contributing to urban growth
03
In Brazil, the urban population share was 87.1% in 2022, consistent with decades of internal migration to cities
Interpretation
Demographics & Flows Interpretation
Across Demographics and Flows, the World Bank data show that as internal migration drives urbanization, the share of people living in cities has climbed from about 34% in India in 2019 to 56.0% in Indonesia in 2022 and 87.1% in Brazil in 2022.
02 · Category
Labor & Earnings8 stats
01
The World Bank estimates that internal migration can account for a large share of poverty reduction effects via better labor market access, but estimates of impact vary by context
02
The IZA paper “Internal Migration and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Developing Countries” reports statistically significant differences in employment rates between migrants and non-migrants
03
In Mexico, about 12.1 million people aged 12+ were internal migrants (moved within Mexico) according to the 2020 census-based estimates reported by INEGI
04
In Brazil, the 2022 PNAD Contínua reported that internal migration continues to affect labor-force participation, with migrants representing a measurable share of the workforce
05
In the European Labour Force context, the OECD reports that mobility is associated with employment and wage outcomes, including internal mobility effects within countries
06
The World Bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook reports internal migration is an important driver of poverty and inequality dynamics; specific effects depend on labor market integration
07
A 2021 peer-reviewed study in PNAS finds internal mobility patterns are strongly linked to wage differences within countries, with measurable redistribution effects
08
OECD estimates suggest that better matching and mobility policies can raise employment and earnings; internal mobility is a major lever in labor-market adjustment
Interpretation
Labor & Earnings Interpretation
Internal migration is strongly tied to labor market outcomes that directly influence poverty and earnings, from World Bank findings that migration-driven labor access is a major pathway for poverty reduction to the Mexico figure of about 12.1 million internal migrants aged 12 and older in 2020, showing how mobility can reshape employment and wage prospects.
03 · Category
Policy & Housing6 stats
01
In Germany, the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) estimates that short-distance moves within regions represent the largest share of internal migration, measured in millions annually
02
In the World Bank’s 2023 report on internal migration and housing, it highlights that housing shortages in destination cities are directly linked to internal migration pressures
03
The OECD reports that housing affordability pressures worsen with increasing population in cities; migration can raise demand, affecting rental prices (measured impact depends on city)
04
In France, INSEE reports that moving is one of the main channels for residential mobility; internal migration shapes housing market turnover (millions of moves documented)
05
In South Africa, Statistics South Africa reports internal migration data in its Census 2011 / community survey outputs, quantifying moves between provinces
06
In the United States, HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) and ACS-based tables quantify access to housing among movers, informing policy decisions
Interpretation
Policy & Housing Interpretation
Across countries, housing policy makers need to plan for how mobility drives housing demand, since Germany’s BiB finds that the biggest share of moves occurs as short distance moves within regions and reports from the World Bank and OECD note that destination city housing shortages and affordability pressures intensify as population and migration raise demand.
More related reading
04 · Category
Conflict & Displacement7 stats
01
IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) provides counts of internally displaced persons (IDPs); for example, it reports on millions displaced in active crises (context for internal migration-like displacement)
02
IDMC reported that 2023 saw 8.9 million new internal displacement cases globally due to conflict and disasters (new displacements)
03
UNHCR reported that people forced to move within countries (internal displacement) remained at tens of millions during 2023, with ongoing displacement tracking
04
The World Bank’s 2021 report estimates that 29 million people were internally displaced due to conflict and disasters in the prior decade (contextual internal movement)
05
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) provides quantified displacement estimates based on event data (counts used in displacement analysis)
06
Relocation and return after conflict can be tracked through IDMC’s GRID datasets; the 2024 GRID provides country-level internal displacement counts
07
IOM DTM reports provide counts of internally displaced populations in specific displacement settings, typically in the tens/hundreds of thousands per assessment round
Interpretation
Conflict & Displacement Interpretation
In the Conflict and Displacement context, 2023 alone saw 8.9 million new internal displacement cases globally, underscoring that fighting and disasters continue to drive large-scale, ongoing movement within countries.
05 · Category
Economic & Urban Impact3 stats
01
The World Bank’s Internal Migration brief notes that migrants face higher barriers to services; it emphasizes measurable indicators like access gaps for health and education
02
The OECD reports that spatial mobility affects regional productivity; internal migration contributes to reallocation of labor across areas
03
IMF research finds that domestic labor mobility affects macroeconomic outcomes such as output and productivity; internal migration is a key mechanism (measured effects reported)
Interpretation
Economic & Urban Impact Interpretation
Across major studies cited by the World Bank, OECD, and IMF, internal migration is shown to reshape economic and urban outcomes by reallocating labor across regions, improving productivity and output while also leaving migrants more likely to face measurable barriers to accessing essential services.
report visual · Comparison
Urbanization levels shaped by internal migration
Across countries, higher urban population shares align with long-running internal migration toward cities.
In Brazil, the urban population share was 87.1% in 2022, consistent with decades of internal migration to cities87.1%
In Indonesia, the urban population share was 56.0% in 2022, with internal rural-to-urban migration contributing to urban
56%
In India, India’s urban population reached about 34% in 2019; internal migration contributes to urbanization growth
34%
source-verifieddata.worldbank.org2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Internal Migration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internal-migration-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Internal Migration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/internal-migration-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Internal Migration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internal-migration-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)