Net migration is the balance between people moving into and leaving a country, and it can reshape population trends, labor markets, and local services. In this page’s analysis, we combine comparable international flow data from the OECD with Canada’s component-based estimates. We also draw on research that shows how undercounting and definitional differences can bias reported totals. The outlook is further shaped by policy settings, economic conditions, and upstream pressures such as forced displacement.
Key Takeaways
- OECD’s International Migration Database provides comparable migration flow data across countries, enabling standardized net migration analytics
- Canada’s StatCan produces net migration estimates using components of population growth, with net migration as a measurable component distinct from natural increase
- Peer-reviewed research highlights that undercounting and definitional differences can bias net migration estimates; a 2020 study quantified the effect of measurement error on migration rates
- Net migration in Canada increased to 1.2 million in 2023 (latest annual estimate reported), indicating net population inflow
- Japan reported a net migration (international migration balance) of -9,000 in 2023, indicating a net outflow
- The OECD reports that net migration outcomes are strongly affected by immigration policy settings and labor market conditions, with large year-to-year changes observed across member countries
- Labor migration accounts for the largest share of long-term immigration in OECD countries (over 40% of inflows in many member states, depending on data source definitions)
- In 2023, global forced displacement exceeded 117 million people, which is a major upstream driver of international net migration into host countries
- A 2016 meta-analysis found that deteriorating labor market prospects and wage gaps increase migration propensity, a core driver of net inflows (study on migration determinants)
- UNHCR reported that in 2023, about 5.8 million refugees were living in protracted situations, which influences long-term net migration and integration needs
- In 2023, there were 7.6 million displaced people in Sudan’s neighboring countries (proxy for forced migration pressures affecting net inflows)
- In OECD countries, foreign-born residents accounted for about 13.5% of the population in 2022 (cross-country average), affecting integration capacity and net migration effects
- In the United States, foreign-born workers represented 17.0% of the labor force in 2023, contributing to net migration labor market effects
- In 2022, OECD countries recorded that immigrants accounted for 11.0% of total employment (share varies by country), impacting net migration labor outcomes
- OECD found that employment rates for immigrants can converge toward natives over time; one OECD analysis reported convergence within about 10 years for many destination countries
Net migration diverged sharply in 2023 as policy, labor markets, and displacement shaped inflows and outflows.
Related reading
01 · Category
Measurement & Data Quality3 stats
01
OECD’s International Migration Database provides comparable migration flow data across countries, enabling standardized net migration analyticshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/database/
02
Canada’s StatCan produces net migration estimates using components of population growth, with net migration as a measurable component distinct from natural increasehttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/subjects/population_and_demography
03
Peer-reviewed research highlights that undercounting and definitional differences can bias net migration estimates; a 2020 study quantified the effect of measurement error on migration rateshttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221325.2020.1746936
Interpretation
Measurement & Data Quality Interpretation
Across OECD and Statistics Canada sources, net migration is measured in comparable and component based ways, while peer reviewed evidence warns that undercounting and definitional differences can still bias estimates, which highlights the need for rigorous measurement and data quality to keep cross country comparisons trustworthy.
02 · Category
Policy Impacts7 stats
01
Net migration in Canada increased to 1.2 million in 2023 (latest annual estimate reported), indicating net population inflowhttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240515/dq240515a-eng.htm
02
Japan reported a net migration (international migration balance) of -9,000 in 2023, indicating a net outflowhttps://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/index.html
03
The OECD reports that net migration outcomes are strongly affected by immigration policy settings and labor market conditions, with large year-to-year changes observed across member countrieshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/migration-policy-debates/migration-policies-and-labour-markets/
04
2022: -74,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japanhttps://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=DisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_MIG@DF_MIG&df[ag]=OECD.ELS.IMD
05
2023: -57,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japanhttps://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=DisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_MIG@DF_MIG&df[ag]=OECD.ELS.IMD
06
2021: 254,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Canadahttps://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=DisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_MIG@DF_MIG&df[ag]=OECD.ELS.IMD
07
2020: -10,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japanhttps://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=DisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_MIG@DF_MIG&df[ag]=OECD.ELS.IMD
Interpretation
Policy Impacts Interpretation
Canada’s net migration rose to 1.2 million in 2023 while Japan recorded a net outflow of minus 9,000, underscoring how policy settings can produce very different immigration outcomes even across advanced economies.
report visual · Comparison
Net migration balance trend (Japan)
Japan’s net international migration balance stays negative across the period, with the deficit deepening in 2022 and remaining a clear leader toward net outflows over time.
2022: -74,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japan-74k
2023: -57,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japan-57k
2020: -10,000 net international migration (annual), measuring net migration balance for Japan-10k
source-verifieddata-explorer.oecd.org2023
03 · Category
Net Flow Drivers4 stats
01
Labor migration accounts for the largest share of long-term immigration in OECD countries (over 40% of inflows in many member states, depending on data source definitions)https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/How-Many-Migrants-are-Needed-to-Meet-Demographic-and-Labour-Market-Needs.htm
02
In 2023, global forced displacement exceeded 117 million people, which is a major upstream driver of international net migration into host countrieshttps://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2024/6/unhcr-global-trends-report-2023.html
03
A 2016 meta-analysis found that deteriorating labor market prospects and wage gaps increase migration propensity, a core driver of net inflows (study on migration determinants)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0197918316672467
04
Debt and cost barriers for migrants influence whether flows translate into cross-border movement; OECD reporting highlights that administrative burden can reduce realized migrationhttps://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/migration-policy-debates/
Interpretation
Net Flow Drivers Interpretation
Net Flow Drivers show a clear pattern where labor migration alone accounts for over 40% of long-term inflows in many OECD countries, while large upstream pressures like UNHCR’s 117 million people in forced displacement help explain why cross-border net migration keeps rising.
04 · Category
Demographics & Integration9 stats
01
UNHCR reported that in 2023, about 5.8 million refugees were living in protracted situations, which influences long-term net migration and integration needshttps://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/
02
In 2023, there were 7.6 million displaced people in Sudan’s neighboring countries (proxy for forced migration pressures affecting net inflows)https://www.unhcr.org/sudan-emergency.html
03
In OECD countries, foreign-born residents accounted for about 13.5% of the population in 2022 (cross-country average), affecting integration capacity and net migration effectshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/international-migration-outlook-2023.htm
04
A 2021 OECD report estimated that language training and credential recognition are among the most effective integration policies, quantified through improved employment probabilitieshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/policy-brief-integrating-migrants/
05
The OECD reported that in many destinations, immigrants have lower naturalization rates in the first years, implying net migration can result in longer periods of legal integration workhttps://www.oecd.org/migration/naturalisation/
06
Migration and integration can affect school systems: OECD Education at a Glance reports quantified shares of immigrant students in school systems for multiple countrieshttps://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-at-a-glance-2023_f8f53153-en.html
07
A 2019 peer-reviewed study found immigrants’ integration outcomes improve with years since arrival; the study reported measurable increases in employment and earnings by tenurehttps://www.jstor.org/stable/26770126
08
In 2022, the US foreign-born share of total population was 13.7% (Census Bureau estimates), reflecting the demographic footprint of net migrationhttps://www.census.gov/topics/population/foreign-born/about.html
09
In 2023, the share of foreign-born residents in Australia was about 30.7%, affecting demographic structure and integration demandhttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/experimental-estimates-population-by-country-of-birth/latest-release
Interpretation
Demographics & Integration Interpretation
In the Demographics and Integration context, the fact that 5.8 million refugees were living in protracted situations in 2023 alongside 7.6 million displaced people in Sudan’s neighboring countries suggests sustained forced-migration pressures, while OECD data showing foreign-born residents at about 13.5% of the population in 2022 underscores the urgent need for effective integration measures like language training and credential recognition.
05 · Category
Economic & Labor Effects7 stats
01
In the United States, foreign-born workers represented 17.0% of the labor force in 2023, contributing to net migration labor market effectshttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/forbrn.nr0.htm
02
In 2022, OECD countries recorded that immigrants accounted for 11.0% of total employment (share varies by country), impacting net migration labor outcomeshttps://www.oecd.org/social/soc/International-migration-outlook-2023-immigrants-and-the-labour-market.pdf
03
OECD found that employment rates for immigrants can converge toward natives over time; one OECD analysis reported convergence within about 10 years for many destination countrieshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/Convergence-of-Immigrants-and-Natives-Employment-Rates.pdf
04
A 2014 OECD study estimated that a 10 percentage point increase in the employment rate of migrants could improve fiscal balances by about 0.5% of GDP (directionally), reflecting net migration’s fiscal effecthttps://www.oecd.org/els/emp/fiscal-imapcts-of-migration.pdf
05
OECD reported that migrants are overrepresented in certain labor market segments; in many countries, more than 20% of recent immigrants work in high-need sectorshttps://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/Migrant-Employment-and-the-Labour-Market.pdf
06
A peer-reviewed study in 2020 found that immigration can increase wages of native workers in the long run in certain settings, implying net migration can have complex distributional effectshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272720300467
07
A 2018 IMF paper quantified that net migration flows affect government revenues and spending depending on integration outcomes and age structurehttps://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2018/05/25/The-Fiscal-Impact-of-Migration-45806
Interpretation
Economic & Labor Effects Interpretation
Across advanced economies, immigrant workers are a substantial part of the labor force and employment, with the United States at 17.0% of the workforce in 2023 and OECD countries at about 11.0% of employment in 2022, and the economic impact can be broadly positive as employment rates and even fiscal balances may improve when migrants’ labor market outcomes converge over time.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Net Migration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/net-migration-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Net Migration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/net-migration-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Net Migration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/net-migration-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)