247 million migrants are present worldwide, representing 3.4% of the global population and contributing 9.4% to the world’s GDP.
Conclusion: Migrants, therefore, boost the global economy, as people who migrate are generally more productive when they move abroad.
The McKinsey Global Institute, which analyzes productivity issues worldwide, published a report on migrants and their global economic impact.
The American institute, in its study, makes a distinction between “voluntary migrants” and other migrants.
The former are more assimilated to so-called economic migrants and make up 90% of the total number of migrants.
The latter, fewer in number, are mostly refugees or asylum seekers. They represent 10%, or approximately 25 million people.
However, a migrant can also be part of the staff of multinational companies working abroad, in which case they are considered expatriates. The study considers expatriates as migrants as well.
On the other hand, cross-border workers are not assimilated to migrants since the latter move daily to another country to work, notably. Thus, by essence, according to the institute, a migrant lives in a country where they were not born.
The contribution of immigrants, who are more productive abroad, is essential to large developed economies. Already in 2005, a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, concerning migration and human rights, highlighted this observation. At that time, the 200 million people who had emigrated worldwide transferred, each year, back to their home country the equivalent of triple the public aid for development. They then spent more than two billion dollars in their host countries.
The United States leads the way with 47 million migrants transiting on American soil, making it the primary destination country for migrants, even though the European Union constitutes the main host area with 58 million migrants settling or transiting through Europe.
