This publication constitutes the 50th report of the OECD’s Continuous Reporting System on Migration. The report is divided into six chapters plus a statistical annex. Chapter 1 provides a broad overview of recent trends in international migration flows. It also analyses recent changes in the labour market inclusion of immigrants in OECD countries. Chapter 2 monitors recent changes in migration policies, while Chapter 3 looks at the recent changes in policies that support the integration of immigrants and their children.
Chapter 4 looks at migration and long-term care. This chapter was drafted in the context of the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Heath programme and complements the work on international migration of doctors and nurses that was published in the 2025 edition of the OECD International of Migration Outlook. It focuses on how countries structure their labour migration channels to contribute to addressing skill shortages in the care workforce. It reviews current labour migration channels for care work across the OECD, discusses policy trade-offs related to the recruitment of foreign workers and identifies policy levers for improving retention in the sector.
Chapter 5 examines the mechanisms through which immigration may affect productivity growth and reviews the evidence from OECD countries. It considers the effects of immigration on the skill composition of the workforce, firms’ investment and technological choices, and the contribution of immigrants to innovation and entrepreneurship. The chapter also assesses how the distribution of immigrants across firms and sectors with different productivity levels shapes aggregate productivity outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for migration and integration policy.
Chapter 6 presents succinct country-specific notes and statistics on developments in international migration movements and policies in OECD and selected non-OECD countries in recent years. Lastly, the statistical annex includes a broad selection of recent and historical statistics on immigrant flows, asylum requests, foreign and foreign-born populations, and naturalisations.
This year’s edition of the OECD International Migration Outlook is the collective work of the staff of the International Migration Division in the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. Chapter 4 was drafted by Melissa Buckle (OECD) and Jonathan Chaloff (OECD). Chapter 5 was drafted by Ana Damas de Matos (OECD). Jean-Christophe Dumont edited the report. Statistical work was carried out by Philippe Hervé and Sebastian Higuera and co-ordinated by Cécile Thoreau. Editorial assistance was provided by Dominika Andrzejczak and Marie-Aurélie Elkurd as well as Lucy Hulett.